No Turning Back
by LadyKatie
Summary: There was time to turn back. Now, Harry's friends faithfully stand by his side as they hunt for the last Horcruxes and face danger, adventure and hopefully, the end of the war. Continues at HBP-not DH compliant. H/D SLASH,rated M. Major character death
1. Dursleys, Horcruxes, and… Malfoy?

**Author's Note: 99% of this story was completed before the publication of Deathly Hallows. To my own shock, some of the happenings in that novel do seem very similar to parts of this story. This was purely coincidental. I have recently gone back to correct only some grammatical errors in my constant strive toward perfection. Everything else remains how I originally wrote it.**

**Summary: There was time to turn back. Now, Harry's friends faithfully stand by his side as they hunt for the last Horcruxes and face danger, adventure and hopefully, the end of the war. Continues where HBP left off- not DH compliant, obviously. SLASH. HD Rated M Eventual major character death.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry. Don't sue me. (I do however own a very twisted fantasy world in which Harry and Draco are my slaves who wear nothing but very tight black leather pants... ah, never mind...on with the story)**

**No Turning Back  
****by LadyKatie**

**Chapter 1- Dursleys, Horcruxes, and… Malfoy?**

To Petunia and Vernon Dursley, being normal was essential to life, almost above oxygen. They had suffered for years with the knowledge that there was a very abnormal boy living in their home, but had kept him and raised him, not as one of their own, but perhaps as a pet. It was with great reluctance that they drove to London, to King's Cross station, to pick the boy up for his final summer under their roof. They received quite a nasty shock when, instead of only one abnormal boy, they were greeted by his two friends as well.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley," the girl began. She was a neat-looking girl in very clean jeans and blouse that wasn't at all what one would expect "those people" to where. If not for her frizzy hair, Petunia may have found her quite agreeable. The girl ignored the appraising look from the older woman and continued in a most business-like manner. "I'm Hermione Granger." She pointed to a scowling red head, whose clothing looked as if he'd just put on the first things he found at a second-hand store. "This is Ron Weasley. We are Harry's friends from school and we'll be accompanying him to your home for the next two weeks."

Vernon puffed up his chest, ready to argue, but she began talking over him.

"I understand that this may be an inconvenience, but I assure you our presence will barely be noticed. We are more than capable of taking care of ourselves in regards to meals and we are prepared to do whatever chores are necessary. We will do what we can to make this painless for you, but we _are_ coming with Harry and you do _not_ have a choice in the matter."

"Listen here, you can't just invite yourselves over for the summer. It's enough that we have to put up with the boy and that bloody pigeon, but we are not running a house for freaks!"

"Like I said, you'll hardly notice us."

"We don't have room for you lot! All the bedrooms are already in use!" Vernon wore a sort of smug smile, clearly thinking he had won the debate.

"That's fine. We're staying with Harry in his room."

"There's not room in there for anymore people," Vernon sputtered, his face getting purpler by the minute. "There's only one bed—_Wait just a minute!_ We're not perverts! You're not sleeping all together! I don't care what you do at that bloody school, but you're not bringing your immoral practices here!"

Ron wore a look of shocked disbelief while Harry tried desperately to stifle a laugh. Hermione, being the only one to remain calm, merely looked disgusted as she answered.

"You're making a scene with your yelling. And no, we are most certainly _not_ sleeping in the same bed. I have every intention of enlarging the room and conjuring two more beds."

There was a small whimper from Petunia before Vernon very nearly exploded. "You're not doing… _THAT_ in my house!"

"Now you're really making a scene. I suggest we leave and discuss this later, perhaps when you've calmed some."

"There's nothing to discuss. I won't be having you do you-know-what in my home."

"So let me get this straight, sir. You'd rather have three teenagers sharing a bed than me use a couple simple and harmless spells?"

"Well… you can't do _that_ outside of school!"

"Ron and I are already seventeen, therefore legally allowed to use magic whenever we feel like it. A fact I suggest you remember. As long as you do, the next two weeks will pass painlessly and you'll never have to see us again."

Vernon had lost.

"So this is where you live, Harry," said Hermione, as they got out of the car in front of Number Four, Privet Drive. "It's nice."

"Yeah, mate. I never saw it in the daylight."

"Or without bars on the windows," muttered Harry. "C'mon, I'll show you around."

He took them around the house, pointing out the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and of course the cupboard under the stairs. Finally they dragged their trunks up to Harry's bedroom.

"And I thought my room was small!" said Ron.

Harry shrugged. "Hey, it's bigger than the cupboard."

"I can't believe people could be so cruel as to keep someone locked in a cupboard for their entire childhood," Hermione said as she pulled out her wand to get to work on making the room more comfortable.

"Well, that's my aunt and uncle for you."

"They should be locked away for doing something like that. It's child abuse, Harry."

"What can I say? I'm more of a house elf than a nephew to them."

"And having said that, I hope you'll change your mind and fully support house elf liberation measures." Harry rolled his eyes and threw a pair of socks at her. "But seriously Harry, it's amazing you turned out normal. Most children would be scarred for life."

"I am scarred for life. I just get the satisfaction of knowing that no matter how horrible they've treated me, I can get away from it and move on. They, however, will always live with the knowledge that there's a wizard in their family. Well, you saw how he reacted to the thought of you using magic; that scares them more than physical pain. And now the two of you are here to make it even worse for them. We'll get Dudley going too by using his computer."

"I've never seen a computer. That would be bloody brilliant!" said Ron. "What about that picture box thing that muggles watch? Can we see that too?"

"Yes. And it's called the television. You'll be an expert in the muggle world by the time we leave."

"I hardly think that two weeks is enough time to become an expert, Harry. Besides, we all have to be working on more important things. We have loads to learn about horcruxes. We have to figure out where the other ones are and what they are. There's too much to do to be exploring all the details of the muggle world."

"Dad would never forgive me if I didn't have tons to tell him about muggles when we go back for the wedding."

"Ron, there are more important things we need to think about right now than your silly fascination."

"Let him be, Hermione. He's never lived in the muggle world. Let him have some fun. We all need a little bit of that once in a while. And I don't expect it will be too common."

Hermione went about getting the room ready. She conjured the beds and put a curtain up to separate her side from the boys' and then began unpacking books from her trunk.

Hermione spent much of her time over the next two weeks traveling to Hogwarts' library. She had owled Professor McGonagall to request access to the library and the restricted section. McGonagall had reluctantly agreed, but with stern warnings about not getting in too deep and her own opinion that they should let the Order of the Phoenix handle whatever it was that they were doing. Hermione of course ignored the warnings and set about her research.

As it was most inadvisable for Harry to travel very far from home, he and Ron stuck to short walks around the neighborhood and worked on the chores Aunt Petunia gave them. Ron, being eager to explore the muggle world, added a bit of magic to make things go a bit faster. Although Aunt Petunia was suspicious that you-know-what was being used in her home, she was none too eager to confront a grown wizard about the issue.

On the night before their scheduled trip to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, Ron and Harry were running out of things to do and began passing their time playing exploding snap in Harry's room while they waited for Hermione to return from her research. Harry decided to take this opportunity to get some answers out of Ron, who had been making eyes at Hermione for some time, but had failed to actually do anything about it.

"So why don't you just ask her out and be done with it?"

"Wh- What do you mean?"

"I mean the way the two of you look at each other every day and then bicker because you don't know how to say what you really think. It's driving me crazy, mate."

Ron looked incredibly uncomfortable. Despite his relationship with Lavender, he still couldn't bring himself to the talk about girls (or at least Hermione). But Harry wasn't exaggerating. From the moment Hermione appeared, dressed, from behind her side of the curtain every morning until the moment she disappeared behind it again in the evenings, there was no peace. They had become more comfortable in some ways. They could brush hands at the table without blushing, or give the occasional hug, as they had during Dumbledore's funeral. But Harry could tell they hadn't taken the next step and it annoyed him that his friends could be so stubborn.

"It's not that easy. It's Hermione."

"You're right, she's not easy. But she likes you and you like her, so it's not that hard either."

"You think she likes me?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've thought she's liked you for a couple years now."

"Really? But what about that McLaggen bloke?"

"You can't possibly be that dense, Ron. She went out with McLaggen to make you jealous because you were with Lavender. Did it work?"

"Yeah, a little," admitted Ron sheepishly. "But then why didn't she just tell me she liked me?"

"Why didn't _you_ just tell her you liked her?"

"Point taken."

"It's not too late."

"But it's Hermione," he repeated. "What if we get together and she decides that... I don't know. That I'm a bad kisser or something."

Harry snorted. "I didn't hear Lavender complaining...Come to think of it, I don't think you guys came up for air long enough for her to."

"As if you and Ginny weren't just as bad."

Harry only shrugged at that. He didn't really want to talk about her.

Just then, Hermione apparated into Harry's bedroom out of breath and red faced, clutching an ancient book. Harry and Ron looked up in panic.

"What's wrong?"

"Was there an attack?" It was unlikely, as she had been at Hogwarts, but anything was possible these days. In the days following Professor Dumbledore's death all hell had broken loose. The one wizard Voldemort had feared was now out of the way permanently and there was nothing to stop Death Eater attacks from escalating. More people had been killed or injured in those two weeks than had the previous year since Voldemort's rebirth had become known.

"I ran all the way to the end of Hogwarts grounds so I could disapparate. Harry, that locket from the memories you saw, did it look like this?" She opened the book to a page she had marked. There was a very detailed drawing of a locket on a gold chain. The rest of the page bore very old writing that Harry couldn't read and a drawing of the Hogwarts crest.

"That's it! Salazar Slytherin's locket."

"But we already knew whose it was," said Ron. "We need to know where it is."

"I know where!" cried Hermione. "You do too. Both of you. We've seen this before. In Grimmauld Place. Remember? When we were cleaning for the Order two summers ago we found it in some dusty old room. None of us could open it. I didn't think of it when Harry described it, but when I saw it I knew!"

"But why would it be at Grimmauld Pla...?" He trailed off, realization dawning. "R.A.B. is Regulus Black– Sirius' brother! The one who was killed for trying to leave the Death Eaters."

Hermione nodded. "Before he was discovered and killed he found out about Voldemort's immortality. After he stole the Horcrux he took it back to his home. It makes sense. Now all we have to do is go back to Grimmauld Place and find it."

"Mundungus." Ron said quietly. "What if he already found it?"

Mundungus Fletcher had been stealing trinkets from the house all year. Harry had seen him with items bearing the Black family crest in Hogsmeade not long ago.

"It could be anywhere now," said Hermione, horrified.

"We don't know yet if it's gone. We're going there in the morning anyway and we'll look for it then. And then new wards are going in place to keep him out."

"He wouldn't still be taking stuff now that you know, would he?"

"I don't put anything past him, Ron. The sooner I have it in my hands the better I'll feel about all of this."

Harry slept fitfully that night, his mind replaying the events surrounding Dumbledore's death. He had the occasional nightmare since they left Hogwarts, but now, with the location of another Horcrux discovered and knowing that his journey was truly beginning, his sleep was filled with all the horrors he had seen. He saw Voldemort reborn, Sirius falling though the veil and Dumbledore fall to his death. Harry's subconscious recalled the events leading up to the doom on the Astronomy Tower. The hideous green liquid that Dumbledore drank and the terrified screaming that followed. Then he moved on to the tower and the blonde Slytherin who Harry had been right about all along. Or had he? Malfoy had begun to drop his wand when the others came in. Harry knew that he would have switched sides. But it didn't really matter now, did it? It was done and that was it. Morning brought a very unrested Harry Potter.

"Harry, you look like shit. Did you sleep at all? ...Harry?" Ron looked across the room at Hermione, eyebrow raised. They had all been working on packing up their trunks for the move to Grimmauld Place when Harry was pulled back into his dreams.

"Harry!"

The young man shook as if waking from a deep slumber and gazed around at his two best friends.

"What?"

"What were you thinking about?"

"Yeah, mate. You were staring off into nowhere...You weren't thinking about my sister again, were you?"

Harry cast his eyes down to stare at a pile of his dirty clothes. He couldn't tell them his thoughts about this. He could just hear Hermione: "Really, Harry! This obsession with Malfoy!" But he couldn't help it. He'd never trusted or liked Snape, so nothing really changed there. But instead of hating Malfoy as he always had, Harry found that night that he pitied the boy. People with a lot of money were often said to have had all the opportunities in life, but perhaps opportunity isn't as good as having a choice. Malfoy's life was decided for him. Follow the Dark Lord or die. It wasn't much of a choice. He and his mother would always pay for his father's allegiance. Harry never answered Ron's question. Let them think that he was upset about the break-up with Ginny.

Hermione and Ron shared a look, but said nothing. They threw themselves back into the task of packing. When they were done Harry said his good-byes to his family, who weren't very sad to see them go. Then, standing in the kitchen on Privet Drive, they apparated to a rarely used alley three blocks away from Grimmauld Place. They walked the rest of the way, keeping watch for signs that Death Eaters had been there. The house was just as it had been left, minus the items Mundungus took. Harry guessed that Dumbledore or someone from the Order had been there to close it up after Sirius died.

"Remember," said Hermione. "It could be a trap. We'll check every room before looking for the locket."

From one room to the next Harry remembered something about Sirius.

"Is it clear, Hermione?" asked Ron when the last room had been searched. "Or should we check under the dust too?"

Hermione had been very thorough in her inspection, using detection spells she'd read about during her extracurricular reading. She glared at him in her typical Hermione fashion.

"I think that's good enough. The sitting room we found the locket in was downstairs, on the first floor, but Sirius threw it in a sack with other garbage. I saw some of it while we were down there just now, but I don't know if any of it ever got thrown out or not."

"Then that's where we'll check first," said Harry. "If it's not there then...I don't know."

On the way down the stairs Harry thought he heard a noise from below. Although he figured it was just a rat, he made a point of walking far enough in front of his friends to protect them. He was careful to look in all the corners for anything or anyone they may have missed.

The drawing room still held many boxes left from their cleaning nearly two years before. In the corner there was a pile of antiques and trinkets taken from various parts of the house and looked to have been rifled through by someone.

"Mundungus' left overs," stated Harry in disgust.

"Let's hurry," said Hermione. "I don't know why, but I don't feel safe. We still need to set the new wards for our own use while we're here. We'll each take a sack and start in. Be careful, you know there are a lot of Dark objects in this house."

"Yes, mother," Ron muttered.

They sorted through bags and boxes for what seemed like hours, and, Harry, having not heard any more suspicious noises, relaxed. When they were nearing the end of the boxes Hermione let out an excited squeal that made both boys jump and begin reaching for their wands.

"I've got it! This is it!"

Ron and Harry rushed over to her to examine the Horcrux.

"That's it," said Harry.

"Can you even believe that this simple piece of jewelry holds a piece of a soul?" commented Ron.

Hermione scrunched her nose. "It's a little creepy holding it, now that you said that."

"Does it still contain his soul though? Or did Regulus destroy the magic in it before he got caught?"

"There's so much we don't really know about Horcruxes, Harry. We need to find out if Dumbledore left behind any notes. Maybe we could get his pensieve. I haven't managed to find anything on them at the library even with access to the restricted section, but I'm not even half-way through yet."

Ron snorted. "Not half-way yet? You're losing your touch Hermione." Ron couldn't duck in time to escape her hard slap on his arm. "Ow. I'm sorry. Professor McGonagall is going to be at the wedding. We can ask her who inherited Dumbledore's possessions. Maybe we can talk to them."

"Right. Until then, we'll have to ensure that the locket stays safe," said Harry. He then hung the gold chain around his own neck and tucked the locket into his t-shirt. "You're right, it is a little creepy."

Suddenly there was creak of floorboards from the doorway that they all could hear. Wands out, they faced the source of the noise, which appeared to be nothing.

"Show yourself," said Harry. "Your invisibility cloak won't protect you from my hex."

Slowly, feet emerged as the cloak was lifted. Higher, and higher it went until the intruder was revealed.

"Malfoy?"

"Drop your wand, Malfoy!" yelled Ron.

Surprisingly, his right hand released the wand immediately and the cloak fell to his left side.

Was this a trap? Did Malfoy bring other Death Eaters with him? Why was he there? Obviously, they would have to question him. But how and where? Leaving the house could be even more dangerous than staying in it. Deciding that the room they were in was as good as any, they began, Hermione taking the lead. However, it was not a very productive session. Every time Hermione got on a good thread, Malfoy, who had been uncharacteristically quiet with his eyes cast down at the table, said something that sent Ron in to screaming fits.

"Were you going to alert the Death Eaters to our presence here?"

"No, I–"

"That's a bloody lie! I know you're lying because you've never told the truth in your pathetic life!"

And so it continued much like that. At one point Ron had to be restrained from physically assaulting the prisoner.

"That's enough," said Harry. "I'll do this alone."

"You're sure?"

"It can't possibly go any worse than it is now."

"OK, Harry, but if you need us we'll be in the hall. You better not try anything, Malfoy, or I'll hex you to so many pieces your slimy father won't be able to find them all... if he ever gets out of Azkaban."

"That's enough, Ron," Hermione scolded.

Draco narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth as if to snap back a reply, but caught sight of Harry's eyes on him and thought better of insulting the man's best friend. In fact, Harry's eyes never left him while Ron and Hermione made their exit. The steady gaze made Draco uncomfortable, mostly because it was unreadable. Potter didn't really look angry, but there was something foreign to Draco in his eyes. Mistrust? Of course. Pity? The thought of being pitied made Draco feel ill. Normally, Draco would have just stared the person down until they ran away in fear. But he knew that wouldn't work this time. At school Draco always had the upper hand, now, alone and without his wand, there was no question who was in charge.

Ron shut the door with one last glare at Draco. Harry didn't say anything for several long moments, but only stared. Draco chanced a glance up at him, but couldn't look him in the eye.

"What do you want, Draco?"

The blonde looked up at Harry then, but didn't answer right away.

"You're here. You claim you're not spying on us. You must want something."

"I... I'm not with them. With the Dark Lord."

"But you're responsible for the Death Eaters making it into Hogwarts last month."

Draco flinched at that. He had led them there and, unintentionally, the werewolf, Fenrir Grayback. He had heard that one of the Weasley boys had been injured as a result. Draco knew how this must look to everyone. Although he didn't think anyone actually saw him do anything wrong, they could figure it out. Death Eaters got into the school somehow. Dumbledore's dead under the Astronomy Tower. Draco and Snape fled. Would they believe him now if he told the truth? Perhaps that's why he sought out Potter instead of going to anyone else. The Ministry would toss him in Azkaban without second thought. He could share a cell with his father. But when Potter caught him in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom Draco was sure that he must have overheard some of what he said to Myrtle. Maybe that would be enough for Potter to give him a chance.

"I was. I had a mission...from the Dark Lord. It was my chance to save my family and make our name mean something again. I worked all year on it, but deep down I knew I wasn't going to make it happen. I couldn't even if I'd wanted to. It was an impossible task."

"To kill Dumbledore."

Harry could see the surprise on Draco's face. No one at Hogwarts besides Snape had known.

"I was there. On the tower." Seeing Draco's puzzled expression, Harry stood and began pacing the room as he explained.

"He and I had been out... on a special mission. We saw the Dark Mark from Hogsmeade when we returned and flew to the tower. Dumbledore was weak– he'd been poisoned. I was going for help under my invisibility cloak when we heard you on the stairs. He hit me with Petrificus Totalus so I'd be safe off in the corner out of sight. Making sure I was safe cost him too much time and that's when you disarmed him. I heard and saw everything that happened."

Draco was pale and drew a deep breath. "The other broom I saw was yours. So you know..."

Harry nodded. "I know what he offered you. And I want you to confirm what I already believe. If the Death Eaters hadn't come in then what would you have done?"

Draco looked away from Harry and hesitated in answering. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "I would have gone to your side. Don't think it's because I like mudbloods, because I don't! But my family... The Dark Lord was willing to kill me, whose family has always been loyal, just because my father couldn't beat you! The Dark Lord himself has never been able to beat you–even when you were a baby– and he's the most powerful wizard alive, so why does he expect anyone else to be able to?"

By the end of the rant Draco was red in the face and Harry was leaning back against the wall, arms crossed, smirk firmly in place.

"What's so special about you, anyway?"

"Luck mostly."

"Look, I'll take veritaserum if you want. If that will make you believe me."

Harry shook his head. "Even if we had it, it's not fool proof. You're an occlumens, so you can probably overcome the effects of veritaserum too."

"How do you know that?"

Harry smiled. "I know a lot of things. Malfoy, I'm not here to convince you that you need to like muggles or half-bloods. I just want your assurance that you're done with Voldemort. Regardless how you feel about blood, killing people is not the answer. I want to keep Dumbledore's promise because he couldn't. He believed in second chances and, although sometimes they backfire, everyone deserves one."

"You trust me, then? After everything I've done?"

"No, I don't trust you, but I'm willing to give you a chance to win my trust. You'll have to agree to our terms while you're here. First of all, obviously, you'll have to tell us everything you know about the Death Eaters and their plans. Second, no more 'mudblood'. I don't think it really bothers Hermione because she wouldn't let a little thing like a word destroy her. But it will save Ron wanting to hex you and it shows that you are at least trying. Third, you won't go anywhere or speak to anyone else without our permission. And you won't carry your wand unless we decide the situation calls for it. Remember, we don't have to trust you and we don't have to help you. We're the ones taking the risk here."

Draco nodded and agreed. Harry then let Ron and Hermione in, but still handled the questions himself.

"Where is Voldemort camped out?"

"I don't know. We never do. When the Dark Mark burns we are to disapparate to wherever he is. As I'm sure you know, normally apparition would require knowledge of the exact location, so the Mark itself works as navigation for that."

While Ron and Harry merely took this information for what it was, Hermione made a faint sound, indicating that she thought the Dark Mark to be one for the most ingenious things she'd ever heard of.

"How many Death Eaters are there?"

"Only the Dark Lord knows them all. There are many who actually have the Mark and many more who support him. For example, the werewolves are his supporters, but the only one I know of who has the Mark is Greyback. I can give you names though, as many as I know."

"We'll take the names, but later. Is there any logic to the raids and who is taken? Some make sense, like Ministry workers, but others just seem pointless."

"He's got a list of people he most wants. If we have the opportunity we are to take them. Sometimes it's planned, sometimes not. There isn't always reason to his madness."

"Where did you go the night you left Hogwarts?"

"Snape apparated us to a house. I think it was his place he stays at during the summer. He immediately started ranting about how stupid I was and that it wasn't supposed to happen this way. He's always so composed. I've never seen him that upset. Then he seemed to realize that I was still there and that I'd be in some trouble after failing my mission. He told me that the Dark Lord would most likely kill me to set an example and my best chance was to find you and help you, give you whatever information I could. It was like he wants you to win. I don't know why."

Harry frowned and shared a glance with Ron and Hermione.

"That doesn't make sense. He'd just killed Dumbledore. He used the killing curse. It's not as if it were some terrible accident he could feel bad about."

"He told me that my mother made him take an Unbreakable Vow. He was to help me and complete my task if I couldn't. Maybe he didn't really want to do it."

"It doesn't matter," said Harry. "He should have died for the cause rather than kill the man who trusted and believed in him. There's too much history between me and Snape for me to believe that he's anything but evil."

Malfoy shrugged, not wanting to really discuss it.

"Harry, I hate to do this, but it's going on three o' clock and we haven't got anything done here. There's no food in the house and everything is covered by several layers of dust. Not to mention, we have to get the Floo reconnected and reassure Mrs. Weasley we're all still alive and healthy."

"You're right. There are four rooms on this floor. We can make them into our bedrooms without having to use upstairs. You'll have to set the wards on the house, Hermione. No apparating in here. We didn't need that before because of the Fidelius, but I'd rather not use that. The only people I trust to be a secret keeper are those I don't want to endanger. I'd rather not use this house at all, but I don't know if the one at Go—"he broke off with a glance toward Malfoy. It probably wasn't a good idea for such a new ally to know about the plans to go back to Harry's parents' house. "Er, we don't know if the other place will work."

Hermione and Ron nodded that they understood and soon they all were fast at work cleaning up the house. Harry did what he could without magic, as he was still underage. He considered a few times doing it anyway, but decided he wasn't going to give the Minister any more reasons to visit him. Hermione set the wards right away. No one could go in or out without an alarm going off and there was no apparition permitted at all. The Floo was a bit trickier. In general, a Floo connection allowed any kind of communication. However, spells existed to limit the type of travel. One could make it only one-way or block certain locations. Like the ones at Hogwarts, Hermione set theirs so that it could only be used for communication and not travel. In addition, the floo powder was kept locked up. They weren't taking any chances with Malfoy around.

Harry felt a tad overwhelmed by the presence of Malfoy, especially so soon into the summer. He'd been looking forward to getting into the search for the Horcruxes, but Malfoy, despite his numerous tips and insight, presented many problems. They couldn't openly speak of the Horcruxes with him in the house, which became an even bigger problem when it came to their research. Harry wanted to involve him, but they had to tip-toe around the actual subject. They told Malfoy to look for any important relics of the founders, particularly Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, that may still be in existence. He had asked a few questions about the reason for it, but when it was apparent that they didn't trust him quite _that_ much, he stopped.

Harry also felt that he had to postpone his trip to Godric's Hollow until after they all felt a little better about "the Malfoy situation." That's what they called it. He wasn't an informant or an ally, but a situation. Maybe it was a good thing the situation existed, Harry thought. For it helped to keep them all on their toes. They didn't dare get lax in their security with Malfoy in the house.

But perhaps the biggest problem was Ron. When he wasn't bickering with Hermione, he was picking fights with Malfoy. The normally vengeful blonde swallowed a good amount of pride in his first few days at Grimmauld Place by not answering Ron's attacks. Indeed, to his credit, he only said "mudblood" once and only called Ron "Weasel" under his breath. There was one time Harry thought he saw Malfoy mouthing "Avada Kedavra," but it was only after a particularly vicious insult from Ron that left even Harry wondering why the redhead was his best friend. In fact, that night Harry and Ron had a long talk about "the situation" and found that many of Ron's problems stemmed from the fact that Malfoy was responsible for both Ron's poisoning and his brother, Bill's near-fatal attack by Fenrir Greyback.

"No matter what he's done in the past, directly or indirectly, he's on our side now," Harry had said.

Ron had eventually agreed that he would do better to behave, and after that there was an uncomfortably tense silence whenever he and Malfoy were in a room together. In fact, Ron tried his best to not be in the same room and mostly stayed with Hermione, even when she had her nose buried in a book. As a result, Harry became Malfoy's official babysitter. Surprisingly, they managed to not kill each other right away. Perhaps living with your sworn enemy wasn't so bad after all.


	2. A Weasley Wedding

**Chapter 2 - A Weasley Wedding**

"Well we can't just leave Malfoy here!" said Ron.

"Well we can't very well take him with us," retorted Hermione. "Unless you want him to be your date for the wedding!"

Ron blushed and mumbled something that resembled "bugger off."

The big day had finally come. It had been nearly six weeks since Bill was injured in the attack at Hogwarts and, although some had tried to get them to wait until he was more fully healed, he and Fleur had decided that life was far too short to wait for anything. They were determined to marry right away. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were now faced with the problem of what to do with Malfoy. Harry had suggested that they put strong wards on the house, give Malfoy his wand for the day in case he should have to defend himself, and leave him. Ron thought this was ridiculous and Malfoy would surely find a way to kill them all.

"He's behaved for three weeks, hasn't he? I say we don't worry so much about it."

"You're a little too willing to trust him, Harry. Are you sure you're not under some spell?"

"Yeah, Ron. He put me under the Imperious Curse, without a wand, and instead of having me kill you both and turn myself over to Voldemort, he's just making me trust him while we go to a wedding. Do you know how stupid that is?"

"Boys, it's not a matter of trusting him outright. Everything important is password-protected, in addition to all the other wards. He can't get out of the house. There's no real risk here."

"But admit that Harry does seem to trust him a lot."

Hermione sighed. "I'll go set the extra wards. You two better get ready; we only have twenty minutes until we have to leave."

"Mum will have a fit if I'm not there in time to get dressed."

"Well, at least you've got new dress robes for this."

Hermione stifled a laugh as she left the kitchen.

* * *

The Burrow was bustling with excitement. Harry, Ron and Hermione apparated to the end of the driveway and walked to the house. Immediately they were nearly run over by a blonde girl running to the stairs with a bundle of white lace in her arms. She disappeared up the stairs without so much as a glance at the new comers. They could hear some of the Weasley men arguing about something in the back yard and followed the sound. The three friends made it to the kitchen before their presence was acknowledged. Mrs. Weasley had been pulling a cake out of the oven and nearly dropped it when she saw her youngest son walk in.

"Oh Ron! We've been so worried!"

She quickly set the cake down and pulled Ron into a hug that very soon included Hermione and Harry as well.

"Mum, we owled every day."

"Yes, but... well, you know. Have you all taken your things upstairs and settled in?"

"Er, well, Mum..."

"The thing is, Mrs. Weasley," began Hermione, "we can't stay. Of course we would love to normally, but we had plans to go to Godric's Hollow. Harry's had his heart set on it, especially with everything that's happened."

"I know Dumbledore believed he was safe with those relatives, but _this_ I really can't allow. It's not safe."

"We'll be with him, Mum."

"And that makes it fine? Are the three of you ready to fight off Death Eaters?"

"We've done it before," said Harry.

"That's different. You had adult help."

"We _are_ adults now, Mum."

"But... Harry isn't. And you lot haven't even taken your N.E.W.T.'s yet."

"Nevertheless," said Harry, "they are adults and, as much as I love you and your family, you're not my mum."

Mrs. Weasley looked defeated and scared.

"Are you at least going to come home for a little while before school starts again?"

The three looked at each other hesitantly.

"Mum, don't get angry. We're, um, we're not going back to school–even if Hogwarts does stay open."

She stared for several moments, then looked at Hermione and Harry in turn. Then... "_What?_"

"Mum, let me expl..."

"You must finish school! What will you do with your life without your education?"

"Fred and George didn't finish N.E.W.T.'s and they're the richest people in the family!"

"Ron, I won't hear of it! I just won't!"

"Mum, I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you like this, especially not just before the wedding, but we weren't going to stand here and lie to you either."

She was beginning to get desperate, thinking frantically of how to stop this madness. Mr. Weasley walked in then, assessing the situation and looking at the three teenagers as if knowing what had been said.

"Arthur! You must talk them out of it! They cannot go running off all over the country looking for fights! Stop them!"

He looked at each of them before putting a hand on each of his wife's shoulders and kissing her on the forehead.

"You have to let them go, Molly. They're adults. Do you think that You-Know-Who is just going to forget that Harry exists and leave him alone? He's not the type of boy to just sit and wait for things to happen to him. Whatever comes next it will be on _his_ terms and we raised a boy who isn't going to sit by and let his friend face this alone. Like it or not, Molly, we raised a very brave and loyal man. I wouldn't want a son who was anything less."

Now Mrs. Weasley looked ready to cry. "But...but..."

"Come, my dear. We have a wedding to put on. You lot better get changed. Ron, your robes are hanging in your room."

They did as they were told this time. Ron and Charlie were Bill's groomsmen while Fleur's little sister, Gabrielle, and Ginny were bridesmaids. Harry and Hermione changed into their own dress robes quickly and met back downstairs to see if they could help with anything. As it turns out, they were only in the way and opted instead for a walk around the fields and garden.

Bill was passing time before the ceremony talking to Remus. They had always gotten along, but now they had even more in common. They had been through two full moon cycles and knew what to expect now. Because Greyback hadn't been in wolf form when he bit Bill, the injury didn't produce a normal werewolf. Bill isolated himself during the full moon and experienced increased aggression with violent outbursts, but thankfully went without any transformation. Now, a week later, he was as good as new–apart from his still healing injuries–and eager to take his vows.

Harry had been staring at the ground ever since they came outside.

"You're thinking about Malfoy again, aren't you?"

"Do you think we did the right thing?"

"I guess we'll find out, huh?"

"That doesn't help, Hermione."

She sighed. "I don't have _all_ the answers. I wish I did." They walked some more and she looked for a way to change the subject. "Ginny will be here today." Harry nodded. "Do you still think about her?"

"To tell the truth, I haven't thought about her at all since we broke up. All I've thought of is the Horcruxes."

"And Draco Malfoy."

"Would _you_ like to talk about him, Hermione? You keep mentioning his name."

"I'm sorry. It's just... you seem to be obsessed and it's not healthy. And maybe... don't get mad, but I think Ron may have been right about you trusting him too quickly."

"I told him I would give him a chance to win my trust and that's what I'm doing. And considering everything I've been through, I think I'm pretty damn healthy. Most people in my place would be in St. Mungo's padded room, but look; I'm still here. I took shit from you and Ron all year for my supposed obsession and it turned out that I was right. Please just humor me and allow this one little unhealthy behavior for now."

"You're right. I'm sorry. So... how about back to Ginny..."

"I don't know. How do you talk to someone you just broke up with?"

"You're still friends with her though."

"Yes, but it's still so soon. I mean, do we hang out and chat? Do we ignore each other? Did she bring a date to the wedding?"

"Would it bother you if she did?"

Harry was surprised to realize that he didn't really care. He had wanted her happy and out of danger. But were they going to get back together after the war? Harry supposed so, but who was he to stop her from being happy now? If that meant moving on romantically, then so be it. He would always care in the way that one always cares about a first love, but he would move on if and when he had to.

As the time for the ceremony drew closer, more guests began arriving. There were Order members, extended Weasley relatives, and a few people who Harry recognized from the Ministry. Given the fact that gathering anywhere was dangerous these days, the Weasleys had tried to keep the guest list small, but found that there were some people who just could not be left out. Only a small number of Fleur's relatives were willing to make the journey. Most of the French wizards considered themselves somewhat safer at home and journeys to England had been much fewer since the known return of Voldemort.

Chairs had been conjured and magically lined up in the back yard. Flowers and ribbons in violet and white adorned a small gazebo at the end of the white aisle.

Harry and Hermione took seats toward the front and next to Remus and Tonks, who of course had come together. She wore her hair purple, almost exactly the color of the flowers and bridesmaid dresses.

"I haven't been to a wedding in years and I wasn't sure what was stylish for this kind of thing, so I just figured I'd try to blend in to my surroundings! I was afraid the bright pink would clash with the wedding colors."

Harry and Hermione smiled and laughed with her. Remus rolled his eyes, but smiled affectionately.

After it seemed to Harry that a lifetime had passed, the music began and Bill took his place in front of the assembled guests. Ginny was escorted down the aisle by Ron, who looked quite pleased with his dress robes this time around. Harry watched Ginny carefully. What had happened to the shy little girl he knew? She was beautiful of course. He'd known that for some time. But now, away from Hogwarts and ill-fitting black robes, he was really seeing her. Her long red locks were piled on top of her head elegantly and the violet fabric hung over her shoulders, exposing her collar bone and neck and making her appear years older. It was in that moment that Harry knew he'd done the right thing for her. She didn't need to be involved with him. She deserved someone who could actually be there completely for her, and Harry knew that although he could love her, he wasn't complete himself. She was strong and brave and one of the few who could handle being with him, but eventually he would drag her down into his own doom and he would never forgive himself for breaking her. Harry, lost in his own musings, didn't even notice his best friend, nervously picking at his robes, or Hermione staring at him as if in another world.

Harry stayed deep in thought through the ceremony and afterwards he and Hermione were seated at a table with several of the Delacour family who didn't speak much English. Hermione tried to converse with some of them with the little bit of French she knew, and a young man, not much older than Harry, who introduced himself as Raul, tried to engage them with his own broken English, but mostly they were stuck in boring conversation with each other about how silly Ron was acting at the main table. After dinner the dancing began and everyone except Raul had left them at their table until Fleur bounded up to them with a smile that could have lit all of England.

"I see you 'ave met my brother, Raul."

"Oh?" said Hermione. "You're brother? He didn't tell us that."

"Sometimes 'e avoids conversation in English. But 'e will talk your ear off in French if you do not watch out. His English is much better than he lets on. He will pretend to not understand, but catches every word of it."

"Sister, you are making me blush."

"Zen why don't you start a real conversation? I bet you and 'Arry have much in common. Harry was 'Ogwarts youngest Seeker and a wonderful flyer."

"Really?" Raul turned toward Harry now in interest. "I am a chaser myself, at Beauxbatons."

Quickly the conversation turned exclusively Quidditch-related and Fleur and Hermione excused themselves.

Harry and Raul talked about their favorite teams and plays for a while before Raul changed the subject.

"Did you come here with zat girl—'Ermione?"

"Well, no. She's not my date or anything."

"Deed you bring a date?" Harry laughed and shook his head. "A good-looking guy like you without a date?"

"Well I didn't really look for a date. I don't really have time for that right now."

"We can always make time for such things if we find someone who catches our eye. I think you are very attractive, 'Arry."

"Oh, um¼ Well, you look nice too. But¼um, well, I'm not¼I don't¼"

"'Arry, you find me attractive, do you not? I like you very much."

"Well¼I-" Harry stopped abruptly when he felt a hand squeeze his leg under the table.

"Harry, I _really _like you."

"So it would seem," Harry had to nearly choke the words out, as his mouth had suddenly gone quite dry. To his horror, his groin began to react to the close proximity of Raul's hand and Harry thanked the gods that he was wearing baggy robes. To his further horror he found that he did actually find Raul attractive. Well, of course, who wouldn't? Raul was a Delacour. The whole family was beautiful. And they had veela blood. Harry wondered, hoped actually, that males with veela blood had the same charming effect that females did. The other explanation for the tightness in his trousers was too much for Harry to deal with at the present.

"Raul, um, you're really nice and everything, but I'm not¼ I don't like boys."

"No? But 'Arry, I think you will find boys much more fun. Much more able to please you."

He moved his hand up Harry's thigh to cup his package. For some reason, with Raul moving closer to him, looking so intensely at him, Harry was reminded of Malfoy. They had the same white-blonde hair. The same perfect aristocratic style. Harry cringed when he realized that he had just thought of Malfoy while he had an erection. Maybe Hermione was right about the obsession going too far.

"Let's get away from ze party. We won't be missed. Let me show you how good it can be."

With one part of his mind was screaming at him that he wasn't gay, the other part screaming something entirely different, Harry made his decision. Unfortunately, before he could answer, they were interrupted by Fred and George who were in need of an audience to watch their latest prank on Ron.

Harry tried to put the encounter out of his mind, but it followed him the rest of the day, even though Raul had moved on and appeared to be hitting on Charlie Weasley. Harry considered telling Hermione about the whole thing when she asked what was wrong, however, he thought better of it; the last thing he needed was her meddling in his sexuality.

Harry had been walking back into the house after the twins' prank when someone called for him.

"Harry, could I have a word?"

Harry stopped and waited for Remus Lupin to catch up. The werewolf still looked exhausted from the full moon. Or perhaps it was exhaustion from keeping up with a much younger lover, Harry mused.

"Molly tells me you're not going back to school."

"I should have known that I'd get the lecture from you too."

"I'm not going to lecture you. You're James' son and too much like him I'm afraid. I knew you weren't going back before anyone said so. I just want you to know that you can owl me if you need help or information, but be careful how you word things in case it's intercepted; I'm still working undercover."

"With Greyback?" Remus nodded. "Why?"

"His information is valuable to the Order and since he didn't see me at Hogwarts last month, I'm the only one the Order has on the inside now. We have very little direct contact with the Death Eaters so I haven't run into Peter yet. I'm afraid that day will come eventually though."

"It's risky. What about Snape? Won't he have told?"

"I don't think he knew what I was doing. As far as he knew, I was staying at Order headquarters and he brewed my potion once a month. I think that if he knew I was in with Greyback's pack I would have been exposed long ago. He would have told Voldemort and it would have been all too easy for them to arrange to have Peter 'accidentally' discover me. I don't think that he would have allowed me to continue spying if he knew. And as an extra caution, I've been using a bit of a disguise. Nothing that Peter or Snape couldn't see through, but something that makes me less obvious."

"What have they been up to?"

"Looking for the Malfoy boy. Apparently, after he failed his mission, he panicked and fled. He was afraid of Voldemort's punishment for being unable to kill. Everyone was given orders to bring him in. Preferably alive so that Voldemort can deal with him, make an example, I suppose. In addition, his mother, Narcissa, has gone missing. It's known that Voldemort was looking for her¼presumably to kill her in punishment to Draco and Lucius. I don't know if he got her or if she's in hiding. No one is talking about it. I just know that Malfoy Manor is deserted. There's talk of breaking Lucius and the others out of prison, but nothing solid yet."

"What's the Order doing?"

"Not a whole lot unfortunately. There are disagreements about how to react in light of Dumbledore's death. We're trying to keep the school open with the promise that we will be providing the protection, but so far we're losing. As protected as the school is, the governors don't want to take responsibility for the safety of the students. At least at home, their own parents are to blame if something happens. There was an attack on the Minister last week that exposed a spy in the Ministry."

"I read that in the Prophet."

"Yes, well, what they didn't print is that it's the auror office that is under investigation. Tonks and Kingsley have both been questioned at length. Kingsley has been guarding the muggle Prime Minister for over a year now, so he has been a bit removed from the problems. But Tonks says that everyone in her division is feeling the pressure. If they've infiltrated the aurors, what else have they done, you know? How safe are any of us? They're keeping that quiet though. If people knew¼well, it would start a panic. Most only sleep at night knowing that the British Ministry has the best-trained aurors in the world."

Harry nodded but quickly changed the subject. "I'm going to Godric's Hollow. I want to live there."

Remus stared at Harry with an unreadable look in his eyes before speaking.

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"We're at Grimmauld Place now, but I know it's probably not the safest, since they know it was used as headquarters for a while."

"Yes, but I assume you've used protection spells and such."

"Of course."

"Still, I wouldn't stay there long. But are you sure you want to go to Godric's Hollow?"

"Where else do I have? I won't put the Weasleys in danger by staying with them. I've never been to Godric's Hollow. I've never seen where Mum and Dad are buried. It's where I was born and where they died and I don't have any memory of it. I feel like I need to get closer to them."

Remus' eyes suddenly looked quite watery and he stared away from Harry.

"Yes, you have the right to do that. Let me warn you though; I don't know what kind of condition the house is in. I know some of it was destroyed the night they¼ well, you know. Hagrid was able to get you out, but I don't know how much of the house was saved. It looked horrible from the outside, but I could never find myself brave enough to enter to survey the damage. Because your parents owned the house, the Fidelius Charm was broken after they... were gone, so you shouldn't have any problem getting in. The land is outside the village and protected by a muggle-repelling charm, so they don't go wandering around it. Use a disillusionment spell and whatever else Hermione can dream up for you if you decide to make it livable again."

"I will."

"I would like to go with you, but that may not be possible. I haven't been there since the day they were buried. Lay flowers down for me, will you?"

"Sure." Harry then caught a glimpse of Professor McGonagall saying good-bye to Bill and Fleur and excused himself from Remus.

"Professor McGonagall."

"Potter. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Wishing you would change your mind about telling me Professor Dumbledore's plans. But I suppose there's little hope of that."

"None. I'm sorry. But I was wondering if you could tell me who Dumbledore's heir was?"

"He didn't have one. His only living relative is his brother, Aberforth. He inherited everything and finally came to collect it just this past week."

"Could you tell me how to contact him? It's very important." McGonagall didn't say anything immediately. "I know you don't approve of me doing this on my own, but it's the way he wanted it and this information could make all the difference."

"It's funny that you should ask about Aberforth, for he inquired about you too. The very afternoon he picked up Albus' things he floo-called me, wondering if I could tell him how to find you. I told him no, of course, but said that I would arrange a meeting if you were willing. He was very secretive about his reasons, which made me suspicious. But he is no more Death Eater than I am, so I shall go against my better judgment. Aberforth is the bartender at the Hog's Head Pub in Hogsmeade. Don't be too obvious when you go and bring back up. You never know who is watching him these days. You-know-who wouldn't have come after Albus for information, but he's certainly not scared of his brother."

Harry nodded his understanding. "Thank you, Professor."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, do be careful, Potter. I best get going. I'm quite late for another meeting. Let me know if you need anything."

The afternoon passed with Mrs. Weasley fussing over them quite a bit more than usual and they tried not to get stuck alone with her, and soon the three friends were loitering near the dance floor, watching the couples.

"They look so good together," said Hermione, nodding toward the newlyweds. Fleur had her head on Bill's shoulder and they were both smiling contentedly as they whispered to each other. "So happy. And I can't believe Fred and George are actually dancing with your aunts, Ron. There's hope for you then."

"I doubt it. Remember, I won the Most Boring Date award at the Yule Ball."

"Yes, but that was ages ago. It'd be a shame to be dressed up so nice and not even dance once."

"Nah, I'll be fine."

Her smile faltered briefly before she continued. "Well, I'm going to go get some punch. Do you boys want anything?"

They both said no and as soon as she was gone Harry slapped Ron in the back of the head.

"Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Could she have been any more obvious?"

"What?"

"She wants to dance with you, you git!"

"She does?" Ron's eyes were wide with fear and his voice shook slightly.

"Yes! Even I can see that!"

"I don't think I can do it."

"Do it. She won't wait around forever for you to come to your senses."

They stood in silence until Hermione came back with her drink. After several more seconds Ron cleared his throat. "Hermione," his voice was hoarse, "would you, uh...would you like to dance?"

Hermione looked as if Christmas had come early. She handed Harry her drink and wordlessly took Ron's hand, dragging him off to the dance floor. Harry laughed at the look on his friend's face as Hermione guided his hands to her waist and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are they finally an official couple yet or what?"

Startled, Harry turned to see Ginny walking toward him, but looking at her brother.

"No, but it shouldn't be long now."

"Especially with you three spending the summer together– and away from Mum and Dad."

Harry put on his best "shocked" expression. "What? You don't think I'll keep things respectable?"

Ginny merely laughed at this.

"Dean owled me the other day."

The tension that Harry had feared all day had suddenly appeared. He didn't reply.

"He wanted he and I to get back together."

"Are you going to?"

"I don't know. Are we done? Is there no hope?"

"I want you to be happy. You and Dean were always good together. If I hadn't been there to fill in his place when you two were having trouble, would you have gotten back together?"

"I don't know...Probably."

"If he makes you happy, be with him. He's a good guy. I'm not going to stop you from living your life. If we're both single when all this is over then maybe we can give it another go, but right now you need to do what's best for you. Deal?"

He held out his hand and she smiled, taking it with a firm shake. "Deal."

"So you're not going back to school, huh?" He looked surprised. "Fred and George overheard you with Mum and told me. She's pretty messed up over the whole thing. She's even more scared since what happened to Bill. I don't blame her honestly. We're a big family; what are the chances all of us are coming through this war alive? And with Percy being¼well being Percy and you three running off looking for Voldemort... She has every reason to be worried sick. You're like family, Harry. She would love to think of you as another son."

"I know. But this is something that I have to do."

"I know. Just... know that you're loved here."

* * *

They returned to Grimmauld Place to find it exactly how they left it. Malfoy was in the study reading and had not gone on the mad Death Eater ramage that Ron had predicted, so they retired for the evening.

Harry's sleep was disturbed, as always, by dreams of people he loved dying. Sirius fell through the veil again. Dumbledore's expression as the jet of green light hit him. And Harry's parents. He'd never seen their death, but had heard enough to envision the rest. Each time another fell, Harry heard that high, cold, cruel laugh...

He was mercifully awaken by Ron stumbling about the hallway on the way to the bathroom at two a.m. Finding that he wouldn't be able to sleep, he put on his glasses, grabbed his wand, and went out into the hall. He made up his mind to explore the house, maybe look through Sirius' things, as there wasn't much else to do. If he were Hermione he would be able to sit and read until morning, but he didn't feel like concentrating on anything. After an hour he went back down to their bedrooms. Seeing light under the door to Hermione's room, he knocked lightly before opening it. She had fallen asleep with a book in her lap and several others on the night stand. Harry smiled, put out her lamp and closed the door. However, it appeared she wasn't the only one who'd left a light on. He next opened Malfoy's door after the same light tap and was surprised to see the blonde boy laying atop the blankets, eyes opened, staring at the ceiling.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Can't."

"I wasn't being too loud, was I?"

"No. I was thinking."

"You have a lot on your mind."

"No more than you, I imagine."

"We're probably more similar than we think... or want to admit."

Malfoy nodded, but continued staring. "That wouldn't have been true a few years ago. I didn't know...well, anything really. Only what side I was supposed to be on. But I didn't even know anything about it."

"Did you only just meet him last summer?" Malfoy nodded. "Were you scared?"

"My father once told me that an emotion wasn't real until you allowed it to be seen through your actions and expressions. So no, I was not scared."

"Why did you go then?"

"Why do you think, Potter? It's the Dark Lord. You can't just ignore him."

"You have been for a few weeks now," said Harry, nodding toward Draco's arm. The blonde held it closer to himself and drew his other hand over the offending forearm, as if hiding what they both already knew was there.

"It's been burning since the night Dumbledore was killed, I would guess." Malfoy looked away. "One of my sources today told me that Voldemort issued an order among his followers for your capture and death."

"And Mother? It's true what was in the Prophet, that she's missing?"

Harry nodded.

Draco squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears and then quickly sat up to look at Harry directly.

"How do you know this?"

"A source."

"So you have someone inside. How do you know he's not a spy for them?"

"He's not."

"Dumbledore thought Snape was on his side."

"Yeah, well, I never did."

Several awkward moments passed, in which Malfoy stared at the floor just as he had the ceiling and Harry looked around the room as if he could find there an easy way to say what he needed to next.

"Malfoy, I wanted to say I'm sorry." The blonde's head snapped up to look at Harry. "About the thing in the bathroom… when I cut you. I didn't know what that curse did before I used it. I'd read it and was curious and then everything happened so fast, so I just said it without thinking. And I just... I never said I'm sorry, so...I am."

Malfoy nodded. "I can't say I blamed you really. I was using an Unforgivable, so you fought back with something equal. No harm done."

"It didn't scar?"

Draco shrugged. "Only a little. Only enough."

Harry's eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the last statement, but Malfoy's expression made it obvious that he wasn't going to explain.

"Well, I should go. I just thought, well since we're on the same side now... I just needed to say that."

And then, just before Harry was about to turn and leave, he thought he saw the unthinkable. The corner of Malfoy's mouth twitched upward into what was almost...maybe...the beginning of a smile.

"Good night, Potter."

"G'night."


	3. The Goat Man

**Chapter 3– The Goat Man**

Harry didn't waste any time contacting Aberforth Dumbledore. Before Harry went to bed the night of the wedding, he sent Hedwig out with a letter explaining his conversation with Professor McGonagall and asking about a time to meet. To his surprise and slight alarm, Aberforth's response was delivered the very next day.

_H.P.-_

_We need to meet soon. Do not contact me again until you arrive here. M.M. has told you where to find me. Do not tell me or anyone when you are coming._

_-A.D._

"He sounds a little scared," said Hermione.

"Do you think he's already been threatened by the Death Eaters?" asked Ron.

"Something in Dumbledore's things made him want to contact me right away. If the Death Eaters know that he has that kind of information he has every reason to be scared. We need to go as soon as possible."

"We can't let Malfoy know where we're going. If he went back to Voldemort, he could cause trouble for Aberforth."

Harry nodded and thought for a moment. "Ron, you stay here with Malfoy. Hermione, you and I will go to Hogsmeade after dark tonight. You'll go into the Hog's Head first, order a drink and sit somewhere you can see most of the room. If you see anyone suspicious, walk out. I'll come in twenty minutes after you and ask for him. We may go into a different room, but you stay and play look-out. If something happens try to get to me, but if you can't safely, then run. Any questions?"

Ron raised his hand as if in class. "I don't like the part about me baby-sitting Malfoy."

"It's only for a few hours– he won't even know we're gone. Besides, anyone could take one look at you and know you're a Weasley. Hermione blends in better."

As soon as supper was finished Malfoy excused himself to his room, which was perfect for Harry and Hermione to slip away unnoticed. Hermione doubled the wards and they stepped out into the back garden to apparate into Hogsmeade. Hermione did the apparition, as Harry was still two days away from being able to do it legally, and she took them to an alley down the street from the Hog's Head Pub.

"Wish me luck," she said before pulling up her hood and entering the deserted street.

Hermione ordered her drink -butterbeer- as planned and sat in the corner of the room. She'd noticed at the bar a hag watching her over the top of a glass of Firewhisky. Even now, the old woman continued turning on her stool to look at her. Hermione, getting increasingly uncomfortable, wondered if she should leave before Harry came in. But then it was too late for escapes; the hag was coming toward her. Hermione gripped her wand in her pocket, prepared to defend herself.

"Mind if I sit down dearie?"

"Who are you and what do you want?"

The hag ignored this and took a seat across from Hermione.

"Lovely night."

Hermione didn't answer.

The hag leaned closer and whispered, "I hear this is where the famous Dumbledore's Army got its start." Hermione's mouth hung open in a way that very much resembled Ron. That voice was so familiar . . . "Yeah, it's me, Tonks."

It was. It had to be, but . . .

"I need proof it's really you."

The old hag glanced about the room, making sure no one was watching.

"Okay, watch my eyes." And sure enough, for a moment only the hag's eyes turned from dark brown to the lightest blue Hermione had ever seen.

"Tonks! What are you doing here?"

"We've been stationed here since Minerva told us about what Aberforth said."

"Who else...?"

"Just a few who wouldn't be recognized as being in the Order. And me. The advantages of being a metamorphagus. Is Harry with you?"

"He's coming. Is it safe?"

"Mostly . . . One that we know is a Death Eater has been around, but we can't make any moves on him since he's never been charged with anything. All we can do is watch. We think he's just scouting the place. He left a while ago and there's no sign of anyone else."

"I feel so much better about this knowing you're here."

At least twenty minutes had passed. Harry pulled his black cloak around him, hood covering much of his face, and started across the street. The pub was still as dark and dirty as he remembered it. Even the stale smell of Firewhisky was the same. An unfamiliar man stood behind the bar and, after a quick survey of the room, Harry approached him.

"I'm looking for Aberforth Dumbledore."

"Who's askin'?"

"That is none of your concern. Is he here?"

"In the back. Been back there a lot lately." He went to a door and swung it open, revealing a store room with shelves of Firewhisky. "Aber! Ye got a visitor!"

An old, weathered man appeared in the door frame moments later, looking terrified.

"Who's there?"

Harry waited until the other bar tender left before he lifted his hood enough to show off his lightning bolt scar. Aberforth's eyes widened and he quickly motioned Harry into the back room and to a rickety staircase. If the smell was disturbing out in the bar, it was nauseating in the back room. Harry couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It reminded him of driving out in country, perhaps to a farm. Horrified, Harry remembered something Professor Dumbledore had told him once about his brother and a goat.

"I live upstairs here, see?" He explained as they went up the creaking stairs. "Owned the pub for forty years–Albus helped me buy it. Several times he tried to get me to live at his place, but I couldn't take any more from him."

"I am sorry for your loss. He was a great man."

"Hogwarts won't be the same without him. Hell, our whole world won't be the same without 'im! There we are." They had reached Aberforth's living quarters, which Harry found to be even shabbier and dustier than the downstairs. "Sit down. Here we have some privacy."

"Professor McGonagall told me you were asking about me."

"Yeah. I got goin' through Albus' things and realized who should really have a lot of it. He left a letter for me, dated about a year ago." He took a folded piece of parchment out of his inner robes pocket and handed it to Harry.

Harry at once recognized the flowing script written in green ink. "Are you sure you want me to read this? It's personal, isn't it?"

"Go ahead. There ain't nothin' I need to hide from you."

_Dear Brother,_

_You've called me old for many years now, but I may finally believe you. For why else would I be writing this? I can only hope that you shall not be receiving this for many years, but alas, I feel my time coming. None of us ever really know when that time is; therefore I wish to say things here and now that I may never have the opportunity to say in person._

_Firstly, I would like you to know that despite everything, you never stopped being my little brother. I love you just as I did when we were kids. I fear that you have suffered much for being related to me, just as others have, and I am sorry. _

_Secondly, many of my things bear information very sensitive in nature. Much of it has to do with (as I'm sure you have guessed) Lord Voldemort. You, being my only living relative and executor of my estate, are free to view these things. However, I feel it is in your best interest not to. I know your desire to remain out of another war. It is imperative that this information is passed on to Mr. Harry Potter. I did not want to draw attention to his part in the resistance by mentioning his name in my will, so it is up to you. It is my wish, brother, that you help him in any way you can to complete his task._

_It has become clear to me in recent weeks that I shall not see the end of this adventure. I am too old, too tired, and have made too many mistakes... Some which I regret more than can be expressed. I shall spend the rest of my time making up for them in hopes that it will be enough._

_Please do this for me, Aberforth. And do not grieve for me, for we will meet again. Until then, I will always be_

_Your loving brother,_

_Albus_

Harry had tears in his eyes at the end. It was dated just a few weeks after the fight at the Department of Mysteries. How did Dumbledore know even then that he would die? Did he suspect Snape?

"Did you look at the things he mentioned?"

Aberforth nodded. "And I never been sorrier for anything neither. Some horrible things in there. But I kept going because it was interesting, you know? Up till I got to the part where he talked about how to kill You-Know-Who. Didn't want to know, so I stopped there. My brother liked to solve things, and that's what got 'im killed. I reckon just havin' his stuff here more'n likely will get me killed too. No thanks. Had too many close calls on account o' him. Not that I didn't ask for it most o' the time. And I ain't blamin' him neither. Fact is, I already got word from Death Eaters that they want his stuff. I told 'em I didn't have anything. Said he must'a left anything important with the Order of the Phoenix. I don't expect that to get 'em off o' me, but worth a try. What else could I do? Minerva posted Order members here to look after me. I can't run. Too old, too tired and no one ever runs from You-Know-Who. He always finds 'em."

"So you don't know how to defeat him?"

"No, sir. If they got 'hold o' me they'd find out, and that wouldn't do you or me any good. I stopped. Truth is, I bin considerin' havin' you memory charm the little bit I do know. He said it in 'is letter; I don't want to be in another war. I been in enough of those, what with the first one with You-Know-Who and the mess with Grindelwald back when we were younger. No sir. Had enough."

Harry nodded.

"You're welcome to it all. I took out his private journal from when he was young. I'll be keepin' some of his awards and special things. All them silver things he had in his office... well, I ain't too sure what to do with 'em, but maybe I'll donate them to the school. Don't know what most of 'em do anyways. I got his pensieve all packed up in that box for you."

"Are you sure there's nothing in there you..."

Aberforth waved him off. "Ain't nothin' but trouble in there. I been Albus' brother long enough to know trouble when I see it. His journals are in there too."

"'Journals?' Plural?"

"It's everything from the time You-Know-Who started at Hogwarts as a kid. There are some places where it's mostly personal, but then it goes back to him once he started getting power. Some of those bits I read. They cover the better part of sixty years. If you think you need anything from before that let me know."

"Thank you."

The old man nodded and pointed to the clutter on the table. "You can take whatever books there you might need. I never been the book type. Whatever you need will be here. Even if I'm not."

Harry looked at him and really saw him for the first time. The same blue eyes. Long gray hair, but not as tidy. Tall and thin, but obviously from having a rougher life. He was most certainly Professor Dumbledore's brother. The average person wouldn't have seen any similarities. In fact, most would say that this dirty barman couldn't possibly have anything in common with one of the greatest wizards who ever lived. Harry could see just the smallest hint of his mentor in this man though. He could see the same grief that they had all felt since that night.

"Look, sir, if you need a safe place to go..."

Aberforth smiled sadly. "There's no place for me, boy. I appreciate whatever it was you were about to offer, but I'm fine here. Albus obviously wanted you to have his things. He must'a believed in you. If you want to do something for me you can finish what my big brother started. Kill the bastard."

"I will. You have my word."

Hermione kept looking at her watch anxiously. It seemed like Harry had been up there for hours, although reality said it had only been ten minutes. There was a queasy feeling building in her stomach that she couldn't quite explain. Tonks had gone back to her post at the bar and the Order of the Phoenix was there to help them. They were as safe as anyone could be these days. But something just wasn't right.

She was just setting her mug of butterbeer down when something small in the opposite corner caught her eye. It was quite possible that she was merely seeing things, but then again...

Her eyes fixed on the corner of the room, Hermione slowly made her way through the sparse crowd. She got more than a couple strange looks, including from Tonks, but she didn't stop to explain. She saw the movement again. Just a brief little flick of something going into the kitchen area. She sped up and poked her head in the doorway.

"Shit."

She spun around, whipping her wand out as she went and ran back out to the main part of the bar and to the hag who had already stood to meet her.

"Tonks, they know we're here. That was Peter Pettigrew in his animagus rat form!"

"You're sure?"

"How many rats have you seen boldly walk through a room full of people– even in this place? He must have seen me following him too because he was on the run. I didn't even have a chance to hex him."

"Go up the stairs and get Harry. You can't apparate in here. Get out any way you can and apparate as soon as you're outside the building. I have enough men here to hold them off, but I don't know for how long. Hurry!"

Hermione didn't have to be told twice. She ran up the stairs and burst in the first door she saw. Harry and an old man were standing and he was holding a package.

"Wormtail is here. We think he's gone to get the others."

"'We?'"

"Tonks is here and some others. We have to go _NOW_!"

Harry turned back to Aberforth while Hermione shrunk the two boxes of Dumbledore's things.

"Thank you for everything."

"Ya better hurry."

"Will you be OK?"

"Don't you worry 'bout me. My big brother taught me a few tricks you know."

Harry nodded and followed Hermione. They started down the stairs, but Tonks called up to them that the way was blocked.

"Where else is there?"

"Go up this next flight of stairs. There's roof access on the next level and ya should be able to disapparate there," Aberforth said from his door frame.

They didn't waste any time. They ran up the stairs and threw themselves through the roof door and into the calm night sky. They could hear shouts from below.

"Is Tonks OK?"

"Harry, we don't have time to find out. Grab onto me and I'll get us out of here."

"But what if she needs our help?"

"She's an auror, Harry. Let's go."

And with a crack they arrived back at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Ron was waiting for them in the kitchen and jumped up when he saw them come in obviously shaken.

"What happened?"

"Death Eaters. We're fine though. Tonks had Order members there. And speaking of Tonks, I'm going to owl her. I want to make sure she lets us know when she's home safe."

"Should we owl Remus and have him find her?"

"What if it's intercepted? No, she will have alerted who she needs and I'm sure they're fine. Go put the stuff away. I'll take the books to the library, but I think his personal things should be in a safe place." She paused briefly to enlarge the packages. "Your room maybe?"

"Has Malfoy asked about us?"

"He hasn't been down since dinner."

"That was hours ago," said Hermione, a little worried. "Usually he's around again before bed. You haven't checked on him?"

"Since when do I have to do bed checks? I try to avoid the prat if you hadn't noticed."

Hermione ignored Ron's attitude and looked to Harry.

"I'll check on him after I take care of this."

Harry trudged up the stairs with the box containing all of Dumbledore's secrets. After they were carefully tucked away in the locked cupboard, he crossed the hall to Malfoy's room and knocked.

"Come in."

He found the blonde sitting in the arm chair next to the window. Draco didn't bother to look up to see who was visiting him.

"You hadn't been down since dinner, so we wondered if you were okay."

"I haven't taken a knife to my own wrists yet, if that's what you're asking, Potter."

"I didn't say that. We just- Well, you're usually around the house after supper and, well, you could have been sick or something."

Malfoy still didn't look away from the window. "Or I could have used my vast knowledge of the Dark Arts to escape and tell the Dark Lord all of your secrets."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, that too."

"You were out this evening."

Now Harry was slightly alarmed. "Who says?"

Draco slowly turned his head toward the door, eyebrow raised. "My window faces the back yard, Potter. I didn't see you leave, but I saw you and Granger apparate in."

"Oh."

"You never said I wasn't allowed to look out the window, but I'll stop if it's that important to you."

"No, that's fine. I just didn't think about that."

"You don't think much, do you?"

"Yeah, maybe I'm not the fastest mind on earth, but I am the fastest seeker," said Harry with a smirk. Malfoy had seemed a little depressed– not that anyone could blame him– and Harry wanted desperately to lighten the mood.

"I doubt it, Potter. In a one-on-one Seekers game I'd kick your ass."

"Well, maybe you'll have to try to prove that one of these days."

"As if you'd let your prisoner anywhere near a broom."

"Well, at the moment I'm sure Hermione would forbid it. Besides, we don't have much of a place to play. But when we go... Well, I'm not planning on staying in this house forever, so maybe then we'll have a place to fly."

Malfoy's eyes lit up a little then. "Could we really fly?"

"I don't see why not. I really miss it."

"Me too. I miss being out in the open at all, but I especially miss flying. I think most of the last year was spent indoors. It gets old."

"Well, maybe you could go with us when we go out to get supplies."

"I'd like that," said Draco with a small smile. A strand of blonde hair fell into his eyes then and Harry was suddenly reminded of the situation with Raul the previous day. The shock of it interrupted Harry's train of thought and he began stuttering as he made his way for the door.

"Uh, yeah. Me too. Er... well, it's getting late. I better be going."

He couldn't get out the door fast enough and then nearly ran into Hermione in the hallway.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yep. Everything's great. Malfoy's in there and great. But I'm a bit tired. See you in the morning."

Before Hermione could get a word in, Harry had reentered his room and slammed the door. This was not happening to him. Getting the letter from Aberforth had put Raul completely out of his mind and Harry didn't care if he never thought of it again. But he did think of it and it confused him more than the initial encounter. At least when Raul was there Harry could imagine that it was his secret veela powers that had him so worked up. But now there was no excuse. He couldn't deny what he had always somewhat suspected. But what exactly did this mean? He knew he had been attracted to girls. There was Cho, and then Ginny. So it wasn't as if he was gay, right? And he didn't have anything against gay people anyway. No one he knew had ever been gay, but Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had always said that fags were disgusting. And if the Dursleys hated someone, Harry reasoned, they couldn't be too bad.

But there was a difference between accepting gay people and actually being gay, right? No, Harry found that thought to be perhaps the most hypocritical thing he'd ever come up with. As if it was good enough for other people, but certainly not for him. So maybe he wasn't entirely straight. Did it really matter? No, he decided. It didn't really matter to him. But what about the rest of the wizarding world? It wasn't a subject they taught at school, nor one that came up in most conversations. Harry knew that in muggle Britain it was more or less accepted, other than by those like the Dursleys. Or at least it was getting there. But how open-minded was the wizarding world? In many other ways wizards seemed very old-fashioned, very traditional. Did that include sexuality? What about his own best friends? Would they be open to this?

Harry decided that he would worry about that if and when he had to. If he survived the war there would be plenty of time to work out his sexuality. Now was not the time to worry about coming out. Harry lay down in bed smiling to himself. He finally had a secret that was just his. He didn't share it with his friends, or Voldemort. No one needed to know and Harry didn't have to deal with it yet. But somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what exactly it meant if he had these little reactions while talking to Malfoy. Gay might be one thing, but having a gay crush on Malfoy was absurd.


	4. Dumbledore's Secrets

**Chapter 4– Dumbledore's Secrets**

On Harry's birthday, two days after their trip to Hogsmeade, they still hadn't found anything terribly useful in Dumbledore's things. They were having difficulty finding a time when just the three of them could explore the pensieve without Malfoy around and had been limited to just using the books.

Hermione had gone to cook lunch and when she called them to the kitchen Draco went right away while Harry and Ron finished putting away books.

"So..." Harry began, "about you and Hermione..."

Ron tensed noticeably and began dropping things.

"What about Hermione?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you two a real couple yet, or what?"

"Well... Um..."

He bent, retrieving the dropped books to buy time, but Harry was impatient.

"Have you kissed or anything?"

"Well... yeah. I kissed her on the cheek at the wedding."

"That was days ago. What about since then? Did you... you know?"

Ron blushed deeply and looked down toward his feet. "Of course not. Why do you care?"

"Well I just hoped at least one of us was getting some."

"We're not doing THAT!"

"Why not?" asked Harry, clearly puzzled.

"Well... it's just... she... isn't it too soon?"

"Ron, you've known her for six years."

"But we just... do you think she wants to?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Did Lavender only want to kiss?"

"Well, no, but we didn't do _it_."

"You didn't have sex with Lavender?" This time Harry was completely dumbfounded.

"Well, no. We never got to it– Wait! Did you do it with Ginny?"

"Er... I didn't say that!"

Ron's face turned bright red and Harry began looking for a place to hide. "You did! You had sex with my sister!"

"Ron, I–"

"You did! Don't try to deny it now!"

Harry was slowly backing away toward the doorway, worried about what his best friend may do to him.

"It's not what you think! She made me do it!"

"Innocent Ginny wouldn't make you do anything like that!"

Harry stopped in his tracks at that. Innocent?

"Ron, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your sister is far from innocent-"

He was cut off abruptly when Ron threw a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ at his head.

"Well, you're not getting any at all if Hermione catches you throwing _that_ around!"

"You corrupted my sister!"

"I swear, she corrupted me!"

"You're lying!" Another book flew toward Harry's head and Harry ran out of the study and down the hall toward the kitchen.

Thus far, they had been careful not to anger the portrait of the formidable Mrs. Black. Twice she had awoken, and since they remembered to be extra quiet. However, one didn't think about noise levels when one was being chased by an angry best friend and several mild jinxes. Harry was much more worried about the red head than an old woman who didn't have a wand and couldn't leave the wall.

"BLOOD TRAITORS AND MUDBLOOD FILTH IN THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS! VILE, DIRTY..."

Harry ignored her and kept running. He burst into the kitchen, out of breath and eyes darting around for a place to hide.

"You woke Mrs. Black. What are you two...?" She stopped and took in his appearance. "What on earth, Harry? You look like you're being chased by a dementor!"

"Worse! Ron!"

"Ron? But why would he...?"

Just then, Ron slammed open the kitchen door, wand pointed and eyes searching for Harry. Mrs. Black's screams only got louder. She had added "manners befitting half-blood trash" to her list of things she found distasteful about the two teenagers.

"Where is he?"

"Potter, don't you dare hide behind my chair! I'm not getting in the middle of this!" Malfoy got up quickly and tried to leave, but Ron was still blocking the door, so he figured Granger was a safe ally. After all, they wouldn't hurt her, would they?

"VILE PERVERTS INFESTING MY HOME!"

"Would someone like to tell me what in Merlin's fucking name is going on here?" Hermione screamed to be heard over the portrait.

That got everyone's attention. Even Malfoy knew that Hermione almost never swore.

"He's trying to kill me!"

"He defiled my sister!"

"PERVERTS! ALL OF YOU! YOUR UNCLEAN PRACTICES DEFILING THE HOUSE OF BLACK!"

Hermione blinked a few times. "Is that all?"

"'Is that...' Hermione, I don't think you heard me. He had _sex_ with my sister!"

"For the love of Merlin, Weasley! Is your sister a nun or something? She was dating Harry Fucking Potter. If you hadn't noticed, he's only the biggest celebrity of our school. Of course she had sex with him!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Draco's logic and approached Ron carefully.

"Ron, it's just sex. And it's not like Harry was her first." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew it was the wrong thing to say.

"What? Are you saying my sister is some kind of, of slut?"

Harry poked his head up over the top of the chair. "I told you she corrupted me!" Ron turned on him then, which caused Harry to squeak and duck behind the chair again. He'd fought with Ron before, but this was different. You just don't mess with a big brother protecting his little sister.

Draco, who had changed his mind about leaving the room, was leaning against the stove, arms crossed, smirking as if he were quite enjoying himself.

"You had sex with her and then just dumped her!"

"You understood why we broke up!"

"That was before I knew you had sex!"

"VILE MUDBLOODS CONTAMINATING PURE BLOOD LINES!"

"Ron, quiet down. That disgusting woman can hear everything you say and it's just making her worse!"

"Ron, mate, it's not like I forced her to do anything. She was more than willing!"

"I don't want to hear about how willing she was. It's not the point!"

"Then what exactly is the point, Ron?" said Hermione.

"TRASH! TRASH IN THE HOUSE OF MY ANCESTORS!"

Hermione put a hand on her forehead, trying to rub away the sudden headache. "For Merlin's sake, Malfoy, go shut her up!"

"How do you propose I do that, Granger?"

"She's your great-aunt. She likes you. Think of something. NOW!" She made her point with the end of her wand in his face.

Malfoy didn't need to be told again.

"Ron, your sister is old enough to figure out for herself who she wants to sleep with. Yes, she was upset over the break-up with Harry, but she went running right back into Dean's arms, leading me to believe that she's having a good enough time with him and you don't have to worry about it. Besides if either Harry or Dean did anything wrong to her, do you think she'd hesitate a second to hex them into next year?"

Mrs. Black's portrait quieted, but even in the silence Ron's reply was barely audible. "Well, no, but-"

"No 'but.' Stop trying to kill Harry and let's have lunch. We'll never get anything done if you two are trying to curse each other. And I certainly don't want a repeat performance of fourth year. I will not be in the middle of a fight again. I'll hex you both before I do that."

"OK, fine." Ron sat down at the table, but kept his narrowed eyes on Harry the whole time.

Malfoy, having reentered the kitchen, could always be counted on to shift focus back onto himself. "Really, Potter. How are you ever going to kill the Dark Lord if Weasley has you hiding behind chairs?"

"I don't mind Avada Kedavra-ing Voldemort, Malfoy."

"I'll do it to Weasley if you don't have the balls."

Harry started his retort, but was cut off by Hermione. "If either of you says another word you'll both be on the wrong end of one of my hexes."

Lunch was quiet after that.

They were back at work in the study when a gray owl brought in four letters from Hogwarts. It appeared that the school would remain open, at least for now. There was a long letter with the book lists explaining the security measures. Hermione suddenly gasped.

"It's the thirty-first."

"Ten points to Gryffindor for Granger's astounding ability to read a calender," drawled Malfoy.

Hermione threw a quill at him in response. "It's Harry's birthday and we forgot to celebrate."

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. I didn't even notice."

"How can you not notice your own birthday, Potter?"

"Because nobody but me ever celebrates it. Until the last few years I was always alone on my birthday."

"Your family didn't buy the great Harry Potter all sorts of stuff?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," yelled Ron.

"Relax, Ron. It's not like he knows. He didn't mean anything by it."

"What's wrong with your birthday?"

Harry turned toward Draco. "The relatives I lived with didn't like me too much, that's all."

"Anyway," said Hermione, "we aren't much better since we forgot as well."

"You're loads better than them. Even I forgot it, so I can't very well blame you."

"Regardless, I'm going to make a special dinner to celebrate. You're a legal wizard now. Anything you want, Harry."

Ron, still not wanting to be in the same room with the guy who "defiled" his sister, helped Hermione with the dinner. Harry noticed as they ate that the two seemed to be getting on much better. They not only sat next to each other, but Harry thought Ron's chair looked like it had been moved a little closer than usual to Hermione's. They kept glancing at each other and pretending like everything was normal, but Ron's grin gave it all away.

After dinner and more than a serving of a cake that Mrs. Weasley sent, Harry locked himself in his room, determined to start on Dumbledore's things. Hermione had been reading about how to use pensieves and he picked up tips from her. He wanted control over where he went and when he was leaving. With only the briefest moment of hesitation and a deep breath, he dove in.

The first memory Harry landed in was one he remembered. He found himself face to face with his much younger self. He was dirty and bloody and he knew that it was just after he and Ron had come up from the Chamber of Secrets.

It was hard for Harry to remember being so young. He wondered how he survived everything he'd been through in the past seven years. It was luck mostly, like he had told Malfoy. Without Fawkes he would have never defeated the Basilisk. Without a strange malfunction in their wands he would have never survived his encounter with Lord Voldemort in fourth year.

He watched the more innocent version of himself as Dumbledore explained about the diary and Gryffindor's sword. Would he have been able to handle the news of the prophecy back then? What would such a young boy do with that knowledge?

Part of him wanted to go back to when everything was so much simpler. And another part was more than ready to push ahead and finish it.

Leaving that memory behind, Harry pushed deeper, going farther back. He stopped abruptly when he saw the faces of his mother and father. They were standing in Dumbledore's office which, Harry noticed, hadn't even changed over the years. Lily didn't look much different than when he had seen her in Snape's memory from school. She was tired and her hair had been pulled back hastily, but she was still beautiful.

"We appreciate the offer, Professor, but we've made our decision," James said.

"I see. And there's nothing I can say to change your mind?"

"Sirius is Harry's godfather. He would never give away our location."

"And what if he is found? He could be tortured into giving you away."

"He's leaving as soon as the charm is in place. He's going into hiding and he won't be found."

"If you're both sure." Dumbledore looked to Lily, as if sensing that she wasn't as behind the idea as her husband. She hesitated several moments and finally nodded.

"We're doing what's best for Harry. Sirius feels it's his responsibility."

"If you're sure..." Dumbledore repeated.

Harry wanted to scream at his parents, tell them to just have Dumbledore do it. But he knew that they were only memories now.

With a sick feeling in his stomach he left that memory and plunged further into the pensieve. This time he purposely dove deep, trying to get past anything that had to do with his parents. He didn't want to see them making the decisions that would lead to their death.

This time he landed on a dirt road on the edge of a small village. It seemed to be just past sunset, for Harry could see a faint orange glow on the horizon. There were people in dark cloaks coming toward him from the village and Harry realized that just behind him was the man they were coming to meet.

The man was tall and thin with shoulder-length auburn hair tucked behind his ears. He was panting as if having just run a long distance. There was something very familiar about him, but Harry couldn't quite place it. He was young; Harry thought not much over thirty. His brow was creased with worry and his wand was clenched in his right hand, but not raised.

"Grindelwald!" The man called out. Harry was immediately enthralled. Could this man then be...?

"Dumbledore! How good of you to join us! I was hoping that you would come." Grindelwald took down the hood of his cloak.

Dumbledore waited until the men were closer and then spoke again. "What are you doing here? We had an agreement!"

Grindelwald was a tall wizard, nearly the same height as Dumbledore, but more muscular and quite a bit older. His black hair was slicked back and he strode forward confidently. Harry wasn't sure if it was his physical appearance or the crowd behind him that made him more intimidating.

"But it was you who broke our agreement. How else would it be that the Ministry gained word of what I have been doing?"

Dumbledore began to raise his wand, but someone in the group disarmed him.

"Claus!" Grindelwald shouted and nodded to Dumbledore. Claus then ran up and stopped just behind Dumbledore, keeping his wand pointed out. "No. I am not stupid, Albus. First my own German Ministry turns against me, then the British won't let me into their country. And you conveniently are missing. Or hiding. Were you hiding from me, Albus?"

Dumbledore didn't answer him.

"But I knew that coming to this place would bring you to me. You are so predictably foolish, that your love for them could cause you to risk your very life." Grindelwald turned to address the men behind him. "Bring them out!"

Harry looked past them toward the village and saw figures emerging from one of the houses. More men in black, dragging with them others who were screaming. Dumbledore started toward them, but he was held back by the men with Grindelwald.

"No! No, don't hurt them!"

"Again, predictable. Bring the girl here!"

"You bastard! Let them go!"

Harry was surprised. He had never heard Dumbledore call someone such a name. Not even Voldemort. The older Dumbledore was always much more calm, rational. He was far too witty to reduce himself to childish name-calling.

The crowd of cloaked men parted and a young woman was brought forward. She was crying and dirty as if she'd already been through a lot already that night. When she saw Dumbledore her eyes lit up with hope.

"Albus!"

"Gwen! Let her go, you bastard!"

"Such language, Dumbledore. Because of what you did my plans have been pushed back indefinitely. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you and everyone you know."

"She's nothing to you! It's not her fault. It's my fault! Hurt me! Do what you want with me, but leave these people alone!"

A chill went through Harry as he was reminded of the night Dumbledore died, and the things he screamed after drinking the green potion. At the time, Harry had been unsure of what was going on in Dumbledore's mind, and what horrible images the potion created in the drinker. But now he was starting to get the idea that they were not made-up horrors, but memories. Dumbledore had been reliving this night.

"I think not, Albus. You see, you betrayed me. You ruined everything we worked for. So now I think it only fitting that you watch those you love pay the price. Perhaps we shall even use some of the spells you and I created together, yes?"

Dumbledore's eyes went wide. "NO! No! It is my fault, take me! Please. I know I did wrong. Don't hurt them. Take me instead! Kill me, not them!"

Grindelwald strode forward until he was inches away from Dumbledore's face. "No, Albus. I do not think I will kill you now. You see, there are worse things than death. And you are about to find that out. Instead, you shall watch them die– watch _her_ die. And then you will live with the knowledge that you were the cause."

"You're a monster."

Grindelwald laughed. "Is that why you betrayed me? Because your conscious betrayed you? You could have been great, Albus. You could have risen with me to the top. We could have been the most feared wizards in the world. But you– what? Lost interest? Came to your senses? Or did you simply not have the courage to follow through?"

"I saw what you are. And I don't wish to become that. I couldn't let you go through with it. It could mean the deaths of millions."

Grindelwald let out a low chuckle. "Not 'could.' It _will_ mean the deaths of millions. But who will die? The undesirables, the weak! The world will be a better place. Now, thanks to you, it will have to wait. And you will pay for that." He turned back to the crowd. "Bring them all."

The men in cloaks came forward with the captives, throwing them on the ground inside a newly formed circle. Of course Harry did not recognize any of them, but he understood what was happening. They were all family or friends of Dumbledore's. The girl, Gwen, must have been Dumbledore's girlfriend. As the others were brought, Dumbledore kept his eyes on Gwen. She was crying again and saying his name, pleading with him to do something. But there was nothing to be done.

"Gwen... I'm so sorry. Forgive me?" Dumbledore was crying now. Gwen nodded through her own tears. "I love you."

"I love you," she replied.

"Oh, how sweet," Grindelwald mocked them. "But will you be saying that in a few minutes, my dear?" He turned and nodded to one of his men.

The man immediately sent a curse at one of the people on the ground who let out a piercing scream that Harry had unfortunately heard before. It was the unmistakable scream of torture under the Cruciatus Curse. The man writhed in the dirt as the men in the circle laughed. The screams were nearly outdone by Dumbledore's own yelling. He began to run toward the villager when the curse was first fired, but Claus bound him with a jinx and he was unable to move. Screaming at the top of his lungs for them to stop, he kept repeating the same thing over and over; "Don't hurt them! It's _my_ fault!"

Harry didn't wait for the memory to be over. He was weak and shaky when he landed back in his room. He hadn't dwelled much on what had caused Dumbledore's screams in the cave. He couldn't think of the event without getting a sick feeling in his stomach. He had felt guilty enough after making the old man drink the green liquid that he tried to put the whole thing out of his mind. This was the event that set the course for the rest of Dumbledore's life. Harry guessed that it was why he became as powerful and as knowledgeable as he was. It was what motivated him to defeat Grindelwald later in life. More importantly, it was why he was alone. Dumbledore had never married or had children and Harry couldn't help but think that after Gwen was gone he had been alone the rest of his years.

Harry became increasingly queasy thinking about these things, but then another thought occurred to him. Dumbledore had always said that there were worse things than death, a fact he had even related to Voldemort at their last meeting. Harry had believed this, without really considering _what_ was worse. He just took it as another piece of advice from a man who was much older and wiser. Never had he thought that Dumbledore actually knew it from experience.

He didn't have time to make it to the bathroom before vomiting on his bedroom floor.


	5. Going Out with Malfoy

**Chapter Five - Going out with Malfoy**

"That's horrible!"

Malfoy hadn't come down for breakfast yet and Harry took the opportunity to tell Ron and Hermione what he had seen in Dumbledore's pensieve. Ron was still staring in shock. He had showed signs of still being upset from the previous day's argument when Harry first appeared for breakfast, but it was forgotten by all when Harry began the story.

"And he had to relive all of that the night he died. No wonder he was so scared. I'd never seen him like that before."

"How old did you say Dumbledore was in the memory?"

"Can't be sure. Maybe in his thirties."

"Hm. That would have been a long time ago, maybe around nineteen hundred."

"So?"

"So, Grindelwald wasn't destroyed until nineteen forty-five."

"Yeah, but maybe the memory I saw was what drove him to go after Grindelwald later."

"I don't know. I haven't studied Grindelwald."

Harry smiled. "Something you don't know?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Recent history of magic isn't covered until seventh year."

"Translation; it isn't covered in _Hogwarts; A History_, so it isn't important," said Ron, laughing.

"If you must know, he's mentioned in _Modern Magical History, _but it's not very in-depth. I know he had something to do with the muggle war that took place at the same time and he helped in the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. It didn't say anything about his past or Dumbledore. Just that Dumbledore destroyed him. Not that it matters, as it has nothing to do with what we're supposed to be concentrating on."

"No, it doesn't," Harry admitted. "But seeing that memory got me thinking. If a wizard like Dumbledore wasn't powerful enough to beat Grindelwald when he was twice my age, what makes me think I can beat Voldemort now?"

"That's different, Harry. We know the secret to destroying Voldemort. It's a clear advantage."

"Still... I'm thinking about when we were in the cave. Dumbledore felt along the wall and the edge of the lake for traces of magic. That was how he found the entrance. What if the other horcruxes are hidden in a similar way? Does anyone here know how to do that?" They were silent. "Didn't think so. I need more training. Otherwise, even if we find the right location of the horcruxes we could skip right over them."

"I can check the library."

"Of course you will," mumbled Ron.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "I'm going to need some real training though. Some things can't only be learned from books. I'm going to contact Remus. Maybe he can help."

And he did just that. Remus replied that he was more than happy to help, but given his work for the Order, and the full moon cycle, it would be several weeks before he was able to meet.

During that time the Grimmauld Place friends continued to search through Dumbledore's notes and even began training sessions similar to the ones they held for the D.A. Harry hadn't gone back into the pensieve since the night he saw Gindelwald. He preferred the diaries, as they were a more analytical account of events, and much less real than actual memories.

It seemed that their former headmaster had compiled a list of the most likely locations Voldemort would have hidden his horcruxes. Dumbledore had already ruled out the muggle orphanage where Voldemort grew up. According to a diary entry, the orphanage was destroyed in a fire. Muggle authorities had never figured out how the fire started. Dumbledore later visited the remains of the building but found nothing. Harry understood well. Tom Riddle hated the orphanage like he hated the Dursleys. If he had a horcrux, he certainly wouldn't hide it at Privet Drive.

Next on the list was Hogwarts, although Dumbledore ruled that out for the simple fact that he believed it to be impossible for Tom Riddle to have gotten in without him knowing. Then there was also the idea that the diary horcrux was too closely related to Hogwarts and he would have wanted to spread them out a bit.

The Gaunt House was crossed off the list also. That was where Dumbledore found the ring.

Borgin and Burkes was on this list. It made sense, as Voldemort had worked there for a time. But wasn't it too open? There was too much of a chance of someone finding it. Harry supposed it was a start. They were running out of other options.

The last location scribbled on the list was the most troubling. Romania. Voldemort had apparently gone there after his downfall before moving on to hide in Albania where Professor Quirrell eventually caught up with him. It was where he sought refuge at his darkest hour. Perhaps something about the land was special to him. But the country of Romania was a bit more land area than Harry wished to search and he was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

After weeks of pouring over old books and journals Hermione found something truly valuable; an entire chapter on destruction of horcruxes.

"Well, basically, anything that destroys the object completely should do the trick."

"But the diary wasn't destroyed," said Ron. "Just... well, stabbed."

"And when Dumbledore and I talked about the ring he told me that the ring was no longer a horcrux. I didn't think about it at the time, but that would mean that the ring itself was still around, but the magic in it was not."

"Well, I didn't say that destroying the item was the _only_ way. There are spells listed. Different ones depending on what kind of object it is." She handed Harry the very old book.

"Avada Kedavra? All I have to do is something as simple as that?"

"The killing curse isn't simple, Harry. It requires a great deal of power behind it _and_ it's illegal."

"The law doesn't say anything about using it on inanimate objects."

"But it's a human soul you're using it on."

"How did you think I was going to kill him when the time comes?"

Hermione frowned, "I'd rather it not be illegal."

"Hermione, you're amazing. Don't you think that killing a man, regardless of whether an Unforgivable is used or not, is illegal? But I'm going to kill him and that's that. The only other option would be to hand him over to the ministry and I'm sorry if my confidence in their abilities isn't the highest."

"So can you use the killing curse on the locket?"asked Ron.

"Yes," said Hermione, still scowling at Harry. "But first, there's a spell here to test it to see if it still holds the fragment of soul. If it does the locket will turn black for a few moments and then return to normal."

"Let's do it then," said Harry. He removed the locket from around his neck and set it on the table in front of them.

Hermione pointed her wand at it and mumbled something in Latin. Sure enough, the gold locket took on a black color and a small cloud of smoke rose from it.

"Right," said Harry. "I'm going to use the killing curse."

"Harry, you said yourself that you couldn't cast the Cruciatus on Bellatrix. The killing curse takes even more power."

"It isn't just about the power, but the intention behind it. You have to really mean it when you cast Unforgivables. I didn't know that then, but I do now. And if there's anything that I mean it's that I want Voldemort dead." He looked over at her unchanging scowl. "Don't worry, I won't get arrested."

Hermione finally nodded. Harry raised his wand.

"Here goes nothing. Avada Kedavra."

Instantly he felt a surge of power go through him. It was terrible and wonderful and scared Harry a little. He could feel why it was a Dark curse. A jet of green light hit the locket and it cracked down the middle. Once the green had faded they saw another puff of black smoke come out of the crack followed by a piercing scream that filled the whole room and sent a chill up Harry's spine. In a matter of seconds both the sound and smoke were gone and the locket lay still.

"Was that it?" asked Ron.

"I think so," Hermione said, reaching for the locket.

"A little anticlimactic, don't you think?"

"Let's just hope the rest of them are this boring."

"It's cold. Feel it."

Indeed, the locket felt like it had been buried in a snow bank.

"Hermione, do that spell again, just to make sure."

Hermione cast it at the locket, but nothing happened.

"I guess it's done then. Two birds with one stone."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I got rid of the locket and proved to myself that I can cast an Unforgivable if need be."

Hermione scowled at him, but remained silent. It was obvious that he wasn't going to listen to her on this. Harry picked the locket up. It was starting to warm back to room temperature and he decided that he was going to continue wearing it. He wanted to be able to take it out when he finally killed Voldemort. He wanted to see the look on the bastard's face when he realized that his secret was discovered. He wanted Voldemort to know that he was going to die.

Since they moved into Gimmauld Place in July, they had kept a regular routine of going out for supplies– groceries, parchment and whatever else was needed– twice per month. All of them had agreed that much more exposure could be dangerous. Death Eater attacks were becoming more frequent, both in wizarding and muggle communities. No place seemed safe anymore and to even the least paranoid individuals, Voldemort himself lurked around every corner. As maddening as it was, staying inside, protected by every spell Hermione knew, was the best option.

Generally, when they went for supplies, one person stayed with Malfoy while the other two went to the muggle grocery store. They tried to stay away from the wizarding world whenever possible. Only once had Hermione ventured into Diagon Alley for potion ingredients and Harry stopped by Gringotts long enough to withdraw gold and exchange it for muggle currency. When the time came in mid-September to go for food Harry suggested something that shocked Ron and Hermione.

"We're not taking Malfoy!" said Ron.

"Harry, I just don't think it's a good idea."

"He's been stuck in this house for months."

"He's gone outside," said Ron.

"He's stood out on the back steps for fresh air and the whole time you had your wand pointed at him because you were sure he'd escape."

"So?"

"So, I know what it's like to be stuck indoors with people you don't like. I think it's time he went out. Just for a couple hours. We'll walk to that muggle shop, get our stuff and walk back. No worries. He's helped us research and even helped cooking and cleaning. I think it's time we reward that, don't you?"

Hermione sighed. "I agree that it must be hard for him, but what if he's seen?"

"We'll disguise him the same way we disguise ourselves. He's about my size, I'm sure he'd fit in my clothes. We'll put a hat on him or something."

"You know, Hermione, it might be worth it just to see Malfoy dressed up like a muggle."

"We're not doing this to laugh at him, Ron. You guys don't know what it's like to be locked up."

"Fine," Hermione conceded. "Only if he's willing to wear what you pick out for him and behave. And no wand."

Harry nodded and raced up the stairs to tell Draco, who was so excited to be going out that he agreed to the terms immediately. Until he got into Harry's room and saw his clothes.

"This is what muggles wear? Are they all that fat?"

Harry laughed. "No, those are my cousin's old clothes, since my aunt and uncle were too cheap to buy me my own. Here," He opened the closet further to reveal a much nicer, newer set of clothes. "On our first trip to the muggle stores I insisted we go to get clothes and Hermione helped me pick them out. That's what I've been wearing around here ever since. I figured if I didn't have to see my cousin ever again then I wasn't going to wear his clothes either. I just haven't gotten around to throwing them out."

"Well, these are better, but they're still muggle."

"Yes, but you have to look like a muggle when we go to the store. Here." Harry tossed him a green T-shirt. "At least you'll have a Slytherin color."

Draco gave him a half-smile and took off his robe and black shirt. Draco was far too thin, Harry noticed. What had gotten into him that he was staring at Malfoy's chest? But before he could turn away, he noticed something else; a barely visible thin, white line. The scar extended vertically from Malfoy's right collar bone- although it was very faint there- to just above his nipple, where it was much more noticeable. Harry remembered that the curse had cut into the blonde's face as well, but Snape's speedy healing charm and the visit to the hospital wing must have prevented it from scarring there. Perhaps the spell cut much deeper in his chest. Harry felt his face turn red when he remembered that day. Even then, when they were still enemies, he had never meant to hurt him. Harry quickly turned to find the blue jeans. Anything to get his mind off what he had done.

"I'll have to have Hermione transfigure your shoes. She's a lot better at it than me and we don't have an extra set of trainers around."

"So how do I look?" Draco asked once he had fastened the jeans.

He looked... fucking hot. Harry had to stop himself from saying it aloud.

"You look like Draco Malfoy in muggle clothes. Hang on. I think I have a cap here somewhere."

Harry dug around in his trunk for a few moments. "Ha! Here." The hat had the logo of the West Ham football team on the front. "It's Dean's favorite muggle team. He gave it to me for Christmas one year."

Draco looked at it in disgust for several seconds. "It's going to mess up my hair."

"Yes, but no one will notice because your hair will be under the hat."

Finally he put it on and looked in the mirror.

"Great Merlin. I look like a muggle."

Harry laughed. "Muggles don't talk about Merlin too much though. And your name doesn't work either."

"Just what the fuck is wrong with my name, Potter?"

"A touchy subject for you?"

"If you must know, it's Latin for 'dragon.' You try being called 'dragon' all your life and see how touchy you are about it. If it wasn't for the name Malfoy immediately following it I would have been harassed more than the average Hufflepuff."

"I see. I don't have a problem with your name. Actually, I think it's an interesting one. But it's certainly unique and _not_ muggle-friendly. We all chose different names, so that if there is a wizard around it's not as obvious who we are. So you get to be... Drake?"

"Absolutely not."

"Okay. How about David?"

"Where do you get this stuff, Potter?"

"Sorry! I'm trying to keep it similar to your real name so that it's easy to remember. Hermione and I picked our middle names; James and Jean. Ron's middle name is far weirder than 'Draco' so his muggle name is Richard. How about your middle name?"

"I don't have one. My parents apparently thought that they couldn't get any better than 'dragon' and left it at that."

"Well then just pick any name. I don't care."

"Er... How about Darren? That's muggle, right?"

"Yes, that will be fine. Darren. You know, you don't really look like a Darren."

"If I have to be a fucking muggle then I'm going to be whatever name I want to be."

"Fine. Darren, it is then."

As predicted, when Harry presented "Darren" to the others, Ron laughed.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Draco Malfoy would be dressed as a muggle!"

"And yet, it's funny, Weasley. I always knew I was a better wizard than you, but it turns out I'm a better muggle too." Draco smirked when Ron's comeback was interrupted by Hermione's scolding.

Hermione had used a glamour charm to lighten Ron's hair to a chestnut brown and covered his freckles, making him less "Weasley." Then she changed her own hair to a light blonde and straightened it as much as it would straighten. Harry did as he always had when he went out; changed his eyes to blue and made sure a glamour charm covered his scar. They were his two most distinguishing features, so they had to go. At last, they were ready to leave. Hermione put extra charms on the house and off they went.

It was six blocks to the muggle store. Ron and Hermione led the way, walking so close that Harry doubted there was even air between them. Harry and Draco followed several steps behind and stopped often for Harry to explain some particular aspect of the muggle world. Draco asked a lot of questions about the playground equipment at the park they passed and the postman delivering mail. Although Draco was very familiar with the concept of automobiles, and had even ridden in them, he had never seen so many of them all in one place and watched each one that passed them. When they passed a very upscale clothing store Harry had to practically drag Draco away from the window.

"Are you sure that was a muggle store, Potter? Some of that stuff actually looked good."

Harry took on a look of shock. "Did you just say something good about muggles?"

Draco immediately turned away from the shop windows and stuck his nose up in the air. "So they got lucky with a few clothing designs. It doesn't mean I like anything about them."

It didn't take long to reach the store and there Draco found even more things to look at. Harry was oddly reminded of Ron the first time he took his best friend into the muggle world. He thought it was probably best to keep that to himself though. He doubted either Ron or Malfoy would be appreciative of being compared to one another.

"What's all this?"

"Muggle candy," Harry whispered. "And you might want to keep it down. That store clerk looked at you funny when you said that."

Draco waved his hand in dismissal and grabbed a bag of Sherbert Lemons.

"I think I've had these before. I wish there were Chocolate Frogs here. See, muggle stores are just boring. Nothing moves or floats or jumps out at you."

Harry laughed. "You want things jumping out at you?"

"The silence is unnerving. When it's quiet, it gives me too much time to think."

"I guess. To me, quiet means that my cousin isn't beating me up, my aunt and uncle aren't yelling at me, and the Prophet hasn't written about me recently. That kind of quiet is good."

Draco looked intently at him, as if wanting to say something, but decided against it and went back to browsing the sweets.

On the way home they walked on the opposite side of the street so Draco could see more of the muggle world. This time, his attention was pulled away by the cinema. The flashing lights told what movies were playing and Draco stood staring at it for several minutes.

"Have you ever seen a movie before?" asked Harry.

"No. I've heard about them though. It's like a big painting acting out a story, right?"

"I've never heard it described quite like that, but yes."

"My mother took me to see plays all the time, but movies are too muggle, Father said. Still... I wouldn't mind seeing one someday."

They continued walking. Ron and Hermione had gotten much farther ahead than they had intended. Now, Ron had put his arm around Hermione's shoulders.

Harry laughed a little when he noticed and Draco looked at him.

"You're thinking about Weasley and Granger, right?" Harry nodded. "Yeah, it's weird, isn't it?"

"It took Ron long enough to admit that he liked her. This has been going on since the Yule Ball fourth year. I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen."

"What ever happened with you and Weasley's sister? He made that big fuss about you sleeping with her and then dumping her. I would have thought you two would settle down and have a bunch of ginger brats."

"Do you think I'm going to survive this war? It's better for her to be dumped now than widowed later. Don't you think?"

"How arrogant. You broke up with her to save her from your death?"

"Well, no. Originally, it was to save her from getting involved with all this mess."

"Originally?"

"You ask a lot of questions, you know that?"

"What can I say? I'm just a gossip queen at heart."

Harry rolled his eyes, but continued. "After we broke up, I realized that we weren't right anyway. I mean, she's a great girl, but eventually she would have realized that I couldn't give her what she needs."

"What's that?"

"Me."

They took a few steps in silence, each thinking about what was just said.

"It's funny, I never told anyone that before. Not even Ron."

"He wouldn't have understood anyway," said Draco. "But I think I do."

"So I just told you all my deep dark secrets. How about you?"

"Somehow I think that wasn't the darkest of your secrets, Potter."

"Granted."

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything you want to tell."

Draco thought for a moment. He finally took a deep breath and answered.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"If I listed it all we'd be here until Christmas. But essentially, I'm sorry for most of the stuff I did to you at school. Not all of it. I am still a Slytherin and you're a Gryffindor and there are just some things I won't apologize for. But all the other stuff... Like breaking your nose on the train last year. And, well, pretty much all of last year was rubbish. I wish I could go back and change it, but I can't. So all I can say is that I'm sorry."

At some point Harry had stopped walking and just stood watching Draco, who couldn't look him in the eye. This was a much different Draco Malfoy than had harassed him for six years. Standing there, facing each other, Harry was reminded of first year when the much younger, cockier Draco had offered his hand to shake and Harry turned him down. Draco was right, that they couldn't change the past, but they could put the past behind them for a better future.

"Apology accepted, Malfoy. Can we try to forget that we hated each other for six years?" Harry extended his hand.

Draco looked up at him and smiled. "Sure."

This time the boys shook hands and it felt like a whole new world began. Harry knew that at that moment that Draco was not just a house mate or ally, but maybe he could be a friend.


	6. The Unexpected

**Chapter Six - The Unexpected**

It was the end of September when Harry found himself standing in front of Remus Lupin's house. He and Ron had taken their apparition test just the previous week and passed, so Harry had gone on his own.

Remus' house was much like the clothes he had always worn; old and shabby. Harry found it sad that after so many years Remus' condition forced him to live in a place that wasn't much of a step up from the Shrieking Shack that he had occupied as a child. With people like Dolores Umbridge in the Ministry, it was no wonder that most of the werewolves sided with Voldemort. Being a villain must be better than the constant discrimination that an honest werewolf would face.

Remus answered the door on the first knock.

"Harry, Come in. I'm glad you found me. I would have come to Grimmauld Place, you know."

"It's better this way. Besides, it gets me out of the house." And Harry didn't think it was quite the right time to tell him about Draco.

"I have to warn you," Remus said, leading him into the sitting room. "Tonks was here for dinner and said that she couldn't pass up a chance to see you."

Sure enough, as they entered the room Harry saw Tonks on the love seat with a big smile.

"Wotcher Harry!"

"Tonks, it's so good to see you. It's been a while."

"They keep me pretty busy these days. Haven't been 'round to the Weasley's since the wedding."

"Me either. Although we get an owl from Mrs. Weasley every day."

"She's allowed to worry."

"Harry, Tonks volunteered to stay if you want, but we'll understand if you wanted it to be just the two of us."

"No, that's great. I need all the help I can get and you two are the only ones that I would trust with it."

"Neither one of us are complete experts in what you want to know, Harry. We know how to do it, but that's not where either us have been trained."

"I just need to know. We're looking for something that may be hidden really well and I need to know if any spells have been used to hide it."

"I wish you would tell us what it is you're trying to do. We might be able to help with it."

"There are some things that nobody needs to know. It would make things more dangerous for you and us. It's why Dumbledore didn't tell anyone in the Order. He told me and allowed me to tell Ron and Hermione only. That's the way it has to stay for now. You'll have to agree that there are some things that I can't tell you."

Remus sighed. "I wish you would confide in me. I just feel like maybe you're in over your head."

"I know I am. That's why I'm here. But, Dumbledore trusted that I could do it. That's why he worked with me all year on it. I think he knew that he wouldn't be there to finish it with me."

"I want you to know that you can come to me with anything when you're ready. You're parents would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

Harry smiled. "If I'm as much like my Dad as everyone says then they should understand that I'm too stubborn to listen and they'll forgive you."

"Very well. Did you want to begin with finding hidden traces of magic or communicating with the patronus?"

"Whatever is more difficult, since I'll need to practice that more."

"You conjured a patronus as a mere third year, so that will be fairly easy. Sensing magic however is very advanced and not even covered in any portion of N.E.W.T. level education."

"It's in second year Auror training," said Tonks. "Just have to know the basics."

"First thing is, you have to be looking for it," said Remus. "Very few wizards can just sense it randomly. But you also have to remain open to magical energy." Noticing Harry's blank expression he hurried to explain. "Have you ever noticed an energy- almost a vibration in the air- at Hogwarts or Diagon Alley– anyplace with a lot of magic being used?"

"I guess. I don't notice it all year, but I do when I first get on the Hogwarts Express. I always just thought it was the excitement of going back."

"It's very subtle so you wouldn't notice it all the time. You, living in a muggle environment during the summer would feel it at first, but then your body becomes used to it again. In addition, some people are just naturally better attuned to pick it up, although it can be learned by anyone–even muggles can feel it. They have no way of knowing what it is though."

"So how do we do it?"

"Close your eyes and relax. Remember you have to be concentrating. Try not to think of anything else."

"A little like occlumency, you mean? Empty the mind?"

"A little."

"Great. We all know what an expert I was at that."

Remus chuckled. "This isn't as bad. You don't have to empty the mind, just be very calm and at ease with your surroundings. Now do it."

Harry relaxed into the chair and closed his eyes. His mind was nowhere near clear. He could feel Tonks' and Remus' eyes on him and that made him slightly uncomfortable. Then there was a light buzzing near his left ear. He resisted the urge to open his eyes.

"What is that?"

"You feel it?" asked Remus, a little surprised.

"Yeah. It feels like there's a fly near the side of my head."

"Open your eyes."

When Harry did he saw a small tea cup floating in midair. Remus had his wand pointed at it and Harry realized that the buzzing he heard was the magic of a hover charm. He didn't notice it now that his eyes were open, but it had been there.

"I did it?"

"Very good. I'm impressed. Now keep in mind that it was an active spell that was being cast right next to you, so it is easier to pick up, but for a first time and a weak charm that was still very good."

"So you mean if I was looking for traces of spells that had been cast a long time ago it would be a lot harder?"

"Yes, much harder, but with a lot of practice I think you could do it. You can even have Ron and Hermione help you with this back at the house. Have them cast a spell near you and you, with your eyes shut, sense what it is and where. Of course the where is much easier, but with a variety of spells you can learn to feel which ones were cast, or at least what type. Dark magic, for example, has a particular feel in comparison to the average hover charm."

Harry knew that already from casting the Killing Curse on the locket, but he didn't feel Remus really needed to know that.

"I'm going to try two different spells near you. See if you can feel the difference."

Harry closed his eyes again and felt the same buzzing coming from his right.

"That was the hover charm again?"

"Yes, now concentrate. This one may be a bit harder."

Once again Harry felt a buzzing, but this time it was much fainter and coming from his left side. It only lasted a few seconds and then was gone completely.

"What was that? It was on my left."

"I'm surprised you felt that."

"Only just."

"Open your eyes." Harry did as he was told and looked for what spell had been cast. Next to him on the table was a dinner plate. "I transfigured the lamp next to you. Transfiguration isn't always as strong. It depends on how powerful the spell is and how big of an object is being transfigured. But it does leave a long-lasting trace, while the simple hover charm does not."

"So you can tell if an object has been transfigured?"

"Theoretically, yes. Although it may be difficult, especially if it's an old spell. Touch the plate. Transfiguration traces aren't felt through the air usually, but you'll feel it with your hand on the object."

Harry pressed his hand against the cool, smooth surface of the plate. Magic vibrated through the china into his body.

They worked on similar drills for the next hour. Remus warned Harry that it was much easier to feel it when they were isolated from most other magic. In a place like Hogwarts– where the castle is constantly full of magical energy– it would be difficult to feel for something specific. Any magic that he may be looking for could easily blend in with the surrounding spells. The same would go for Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, or any other wizarding community.

Always practical and careful, Remus suggested that they not go into anything else that night in order to conserve Harry's energy. They made plans to meet as often as possible to continue practicing. Harry was anxious to learn how to make his patronus communicate the way Order members did and figured it would come in handy if he had to get a message to Remus quickly.

When Harry returned to Grimmauld Place that evening Draco was sitting at the kitchen table alone, reading. As usual, he didn't look up when Harry entered the room.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Potter?"

"Sorry, but usually you read in the sitting room or your bedroom."

"Well I'm not tonight."

Harry rolled his eyes. He should be used to Draco's attitude by now. "Uh-huh. Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"In the sitting room."

Harry began to head for the door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Potter."

"Oh?"

Draco sighed and turned another page in his book. "I left them in there because what they were doing was making me nauseous."

"What?"

With a huff, Draco closed his book and set it on the table a little louder than was absolutely necessary. "They're making out, if you must know." Having said that, he made a brief look of disgust and stood. "Excuse me; I think I have to go be ill again."

"Wait a minute. They were actually kissing?"

"Not just kissing. I think his tongue was looking for something in the back of her throat. I haven't seen anything so repulsive since Pansy decided to show off her new lingerie." He paused, putting a hand to his stomach. "Now I _am_ going to be sick. Anyway, just thought I'd stay in here to warn you. No one, not even you, should be subjected to that show of indecency. Now, goodnight."

"Wait, Malfoy, I'll walk up with you."

As they passed the sitting room they heard an unmistakable giggle that made them both cringe. Well, Harry had been telling them to get to it for a while. Now that he got his way though he almost wished he hadn't. Was this going to make things weird between the three of them? He was the only one who didn't have someone, other than Malfoy, to keep him company.

"I can't believe I just heard that!" Draco moaned. "Weasley and Granger... I would have been better off letting the Dark Lord kill me!"

Harry smiled to himself, although he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about him and Malfoy being the bachelors of the house.

For the next few weeks, Ron and Hermione were attached at the hip whenever they weren't bickering as they had done for so many years. They all continued to train with Harry's new knowledge from Remus. Malfoy had begun sitting in on the training sessions, although he still didn't have his wand. He said it was merely to offer suggestions, but Harry knew it was to provoke Ron into a verbal war that always resulted in another win for the blond.

Once Harry had learned the secret of how to communicate with a patronus, they spent most of this practice time perfecting it. Harry was the only one of them who could consistently conjure one and Ron had never managed much more than a silver wisp. Hermione's otter was coming along nicely, but she insisted that it needed more work. After a day of practice Ron had a little Jack Russell Terrier running about the study. He was quite proud of himself until Malfoy started laughing in the corner.

"Fuck, if we get attacked by a Dementor Weasley's patronus can bite its ankles!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!"

"Does he catch balls and roll over too?"

"Yeah, well what's yours? A slimy snake or something?"

"I don't know. I've never done it."

"Ha!"

"It's not as if I couldn't do it. It's not exactly on the school curriculum and Potter's got my wand under lock and key, so I guess we won't settle this. But I'm sure mine is better than a little yippy dog."

"Enough of this, boys. Harry, it's your turn to do supper. We'll clean up in here."

"Any special requests?"

"Poison for Mafoy's dinner?"

"Ron!"

Harry laughed and opened the door.

"I'm going with Potter. At least his patronus has the decency to run you down in one go, rather than pissing on your shoes. Besides, if I have to see you two groping each other one more time I'm going to end up in the mental hospital."

Cooking with Malfoy. Something Harry surely never thought he would be doing. But then, Harry never thought he would be living in the same house with the blond either. Draco often helped with dishes or other chores when he was asked to, but the first week he stayed with them they had discovered that he couldn't cook and they had never assigned him a kitchen day. Truth be told, Harry and Hermione did all the cooking anyway, as someone was always on hand to help Ron muddle through even the simplest dishes.

"The onion is ready."

Harry glanced at the cutting board. "They look... precise. I suppose that's why you're so good in potions, because you know the difference between slice, dice and chop?"

"That helps, but mostly I just pay attention to what I'm doing and listen to the teacher."

"Well, I suppose that's where I go wrong. It's not like it's much different than cooking, but I just don't _like_ it."

"Cooking or potions?"

"Both."

"But you're so good at cooking."

Harry glanced at him and Draco blushed and looked back at the onions.

"Well, you are. One would think that it was something you enjoy."

"I'm good at it because if I wasn't then my aunt and uncle would have one more thing to yell at me for. But I hate it because I always had to do it. And I suppose that's why I never like potions. That and the professor hated me and my father and wanted me dead."

"You did all right last year."

"I, er, had help. Sort of."

"Yeah. Well, I just can't cook because I've never done it. That's what we had house elves for. I was far too busy learning foreign languages and music."

"Music?"

"Mother made me take piano lessons, but I was never any good at it, which Father was happy about. He often said that music was for effeminate boys who lived with their mothers forever and told me that I should spend more time on Quidditch and magical training and less on 'womanly obsessions.' Unfortunately for him, it was the only one of my mother's obsessions that didn't take. I inherited her addiction to expensive clothes, wine and parties."

"Well, you certainly got your superiority complex from him."

Draco thought about it for a moment.

"You know, I think I'm going to take that as a compliment. It's that kind of confidence that has made him a respected authority figure. But Father and I are really quite different, no matter how much we look alike. I wonder sometimes if he minds at all."

"Why would he? I'm sure he didn't expect you to be exactly like him."

"It's not just that. He wouldn't... Well, you know my father. I think he expects impossible things sometimes."

Harry wasn't sure how to say what he was thinking. Lucius Malfoy was a cruel man and had tried to kill Harry on more than one occasion, but he was still Draco's father and there would always be a connection between father and son. He didn't want to upset Draco and create problems in the house by saying what he _really_ thought of Lucius Malfoy.

"Is he going to hate that you're here helping me?"

Draco took a long breath while he contemplated his answer. "He couldn't still want to follow the Dark Lord after everything that's happened. I'm sure, if he were out of Azkaban, he would do the same thing. Switching sides is logical. No matter his views, there's no loyalty among the Death Eaters. He expects loyalty from them, but gives none in return. Father would agree."

"I just..." Harry sighed. "I hope you're right, but he may not be as ready to leave the side that he's been on for over twenty years."

Draco glared. "He will be on the side of his family," he bit out. "He may have done some horrible things before, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a good father."

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to say anything."

They were silent for several minutes. Harry wished he hadn't said anything. It wasn't any of his business anyway and he really didn't want to make things awkward between them when they were just starting to really get along. Suddenly he changed the subject.

"So, do you want to learn to cook?"

"You giving lessons?"

"Ron and Hermione have been cooking together anyway. We can change the rules so we'll cook one night and they cook the next. Maybe it won't be so bad if there's someone helping me."

"Anything to spend less time around the happy couple."

Harry opened his mouth to reply when he was cut off by a scratching sound at the window. Both boys looked to see a brown owl hovering outside.

"That's not a familiar owl. Not the Weasleys anyway. And it doesn't look like Tonks' either."

Harry pulled out his wand as he opened the window, looking for signs of someone lingering outside. The owl went straight to Draco and he untied the letter.

"Oh my..."

"What is it? It's for you?"

Draco wordlessly handed the note to Harry.

_Draco,_

_Despite the rumors about her disappearance, your mother is safe. I was able to hide her away before they came for her... She cannot come to see you for obvious reasons, but she wanted you to know she was safe and will find you after the war._

_S.S._

Harry looked back up at the blond, who still seemed to be in complete shock.

"Well, that was unexpected."


	7. Where it All Began

**Chapter Seven - Where it All Began**

_Draco,_

_Despite the rumors about her disappearance, your mother is safe. I was able to hide her away before they came for her... She cannot come to see you for obvious reasons, but she wanted you to know she was safe and will find you after the war._

_S.S._

The house had been in an uproar ever since the owl arrived. Contact from Snape was certainly reason for panic. When Draco first came to live with them he had suspected that Snape wasn't entirely loyal to Voldemort. Now, months later, a letter comes which appears to be helping Draco. Is he helping, or just trying to establish contact and gain trust in order to ambush them later?

"I don't feel good about this," said Harry. "What if he knows where we are?"

"There's no evidence for that. It was just an owl," reasoned Hermione.

"I still don't like it. Snape is up to something. We need to leave."

"And what if it's exactly how it looks and he was just telling Malfoy about his mother?"

"And what if he's trying to kill us just like Dumbledore? Do you really want to take that chance? What if he was tracking the owl?"

Hermione sighed. "You're right. We can't take the chance. Where were you planning on going?"

"I told you before that I need to go to Godric's Hollow. We've put it off too long."

"Harry, it might need a lot of work. You don't even know how much of it was destroyed from the fire."

"Fire?"

"Honestly, Harry, you're in at least three different modern history of magic books. They tell all about the fire at your parents' home the night Voldemort went there. They just don't say how much was burned."

"History of magic books?"

Hermione nodded. "At least three, but a new edition of one came out only last year and I'm sure you're in that one several times."

Harry scowled and left to send a message to Remus.

Remus wasted no time replying. He arrived at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place just after dark that very night. Harry left Hermione and Ron in the sitting room with Malfoy when he answered the door.

"What's going on, Harry? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. I told you no one was hurt. Come in. We need your help with something, but to bring you in on this we'll have to tell you more than I was planning on telling anyone. You have to promise me you won't interfere and you won't tell anyone– not even anyone in the Order."

Remus frowned. "What if I think you need real help?"

"If we need real help we'll ask for it. Just trust me on this. Please."

There was a significant pause before Remus finally nodded. "All right. I promise."

"Okay. Follow me."

Harry led Remus to the sitting room and opened the door. Ron and Hermione were seated on the love seat, while Draco sat, legs crossed, sipping a drink on the corner armchair. Remus immediately zeroed in on the blond. He looked at Harry in complete shock and looked back to Draco.

"Oh, my."

"This was the first contact you've had from Snape?" Remus looked up at Draco who nodded.

It had taken nearly an hour for them to explain exactly how Draco Malfoy came to be sitting in the most comfortable armchair at Grimmauld Place. Then they had shown Remus the letter.

"What do you think?" asked Harry.

"Well there's certainly nothing to indicate that he knows you're here. Although I think it's strange that he's just now contacting him after these months."

"But do you think we're safe?"

"I told you before, Harry, I don't recommend staying here. At least if you go to your parents' home perhaps some of the protective magic from Lily will help you."

"That was only supposed to protect me at the Dursleys and only until I turned seventeen, which I did."

"Remember what we've been talking about; traces of spells linger. Normally they don't affect us, but I feel that something as strong as her sacrifice for you would last. It lasted long enough to keep you safe until Hagrid came to get you on the night they died. And, through her blood relatives, it protected you for sixteen years. When I was on the property for the funeral I could feel it. I imagine it was even stronger at the house itself. I wouldn't be surprised if it lingered there still."

"I guess we'll find out. Wasn't a lot of the house destroyed?"

"Hagrid had said that. Dumbledore told me later, at the funeral, that it was a bit of an exaggeration. Apparently, the house was still on fire when he got there. He left before the fire was put out because of the local muggles showing up to see what was going on. I think the muggle fire fighters ended up putting the fire out. To him, it probably looked like it was going to burn right to the ground."

"So how much damage was there?"

"I only saw it from a distance of course, but Dumbledore implied that it could be made livable again."

"Okay. You said this summer that there was a muggle repelling charm. Is there anything else?"

"Only some minor wards that would only allow the Potter heir onto the property. Anyone who goes in with you would be safe."

"And the Fidelius Charm is gone?"

"Just like with this house, the Fidelius was broken after ownership passed to you. If the Fidelius was still in place, Hagrid would have never been able to save you that night. Ownership of land and titles are magically binding and will break any existing wards or charms on the property. As powerful as the Fidelius is, it cannot impose itself on an owner who is unwilling to have it there. And more importantly, what if the new owner didn't know who the secret keeper was so that he could get into his own house?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, when should we go?"

"Soon. I'm almost entirely free tomorrow and can go with you."

"Then we'll go."

"I'll be back to get you at ten tomorrow. That will give me time to take care of some things. Until then, double wards on this house. Just in case."

Remus was right on time the next morning. As part of the no magic rule, Draco had to side-along apparate with Harry. Harry didn't really mind though. It felt nice to have someone so close to him, and it took away some of the dread he generally felt about apparition. They appeared in an alley where Remus was sure they would be unnoticed. Harry wanted to buy flowers for his parents' graves and Remus agreed that they should see the village first and walk out to the house in order to get a better idea of their surroundings. He wanted to see how much had changed in the years since he'd last been there.

The town was all muggle, hence Malfoy had to borrow Harry's clothes once more for their trip. Ron poked fun at his muggle attire, but this time Draco bit back his reply. Harry guessed that Remus' presence had subdued the normally mouthy blond.

"We're behind the town pub," said Remus. "It's not on the a main street really so we should be able to make it out into the open without being noticed."

"How big of a town is this?" asked Hermione as they began walking.

"Big enough to not immediately be labeled as a visitor, but small enough for gossip to spread quickly. Try not to do anything to draw attention."

"And there are no wizards?"

"None that I know of. Tonks checked and there are none registered here. You never know though. You'll want to keep these disguises you've used. Sorry to say it, but that goes double for your scar, Harry. It's an unusual shape, so it would be a way of identifying you. Something that odd may draw unfriendly attention."

Harry only nodded. He was far too accustomed to hiding it now. Although, a part of him bubbled with the bitterness of knowing that even after the war was over, whether he be in the wizard or muggle world, he would always stand out.

"Where exactly are we?" asked Draco.

"Godric's Hallow. This is where my parents lived when I was a baby."

"Even before that," said Remus. "The house is one that your grandfather built when he married your grandmother. It's big, but not showy like a lot of the old pureblood families had. You see, the Potters had money, but your grandfather was a very modest man. He chose this village because it was a muggle one– something his family never understood. He wanted to distance himself from the 'pureblood culture,' as he called it."

"You know a lot about them," said Harry.

"I can remember spending many summers here." Remus smiled remembering. "Sirius sometimes spent the whole summer– as well as Christmas holidays. And when he finally ran away from home, he lived with them. I only came for a week or two at a time of course. Your grandfather died during our sixth year. I think that's when James finally decided to grow up and start taking things seriously."

"That's when he started dating Mum."

"Shortly after that, yes. Then two years later your grandmother died, leaving the property to James."

"How did they die?" asked Draco suddenly. "I'm sorry, but I know they were wizards, purebloods even. Seems odd they're not still around."

"To begin with, they weren't exactly young when they had James. They way I heard it, they were quite adventurous in their youth. By the time they got around to having James it was a difficult pregnancy and birth. That was what made him their only, and very spoiled, child. James' dad was ill for some time before his death. I don't remember now what it was, but yes, he was still rather young for a wizard. After he was gone, his wife didn't really care to go on. James always said that she died of loneliness."

They had only gone a couple blocks when they came to Madeline's Flower Shop. Suddenly Harry realized that he didn't know anything about flowers or what kind his mum would appreciate and took a chance on asking Remus.

"She loved all flowers. Roses, irises, tulips. She liked lilies, but she often complained that it was all anybody ever gave her because of her name. Her favorites were daisies."

"Then that's what I'll get."

"I think she would like that."

Harry told Madeline what he wanted and she did the arrangement. She was a very young, pretty woman with blond hair. Every couple minutes she looked up at him and winked and after the third time Harry started to feel uncomfortable. To make matters worse, he heard Draco laugh behind him and knew that there would be inevitable jokes later about his new girlfriend.

After the flower shop, they continued walking, mostly in silence until Remus pointed out different things such as the muggle school and grocery store.

They walked twenty minutes past the edge of town when Harry started to feel the slight tingling of magical wards. He noticed a path starting at the road's edge. It had been a driveway at one time, wide enough for a car to go down, but now it was overgrown with weeds. Remus led the way off the road and into the grass. Just as they came to a row of trees he stopped abruptly.

"The wards begin here. Harry, as the only one with Potter blood, you must lead the way."

Harry stepped forward, feeling the magical tingle go through his whole body. He pushed his way past the overgrown bushes to see the path lead through the trees and behind them he could see part of the house.

He stopped briefly out of sheer shock. He'd wanted to come here for so long and now that he was, it was more than a little frightening. This was where it all began. His parents died here. He would finally see where they were buried. He would see the place where they died. He could hear his heart pounding, but he continued on.

From the front, the house looked in good condition, although a little weathered. Remus had been right about it not being showy. It looked like any other modest muggle home in the country. Two floors high and curtains still hung in the front windows. The lawn had not been cut and the rose bushes were badly in need of pruning. For just a moment Harry thought he could see his mother fussing over the flowers in the afternoon sun. The vision left quickly and Harry laughed at his foolishness.

"Let's go around the back first. Voldemort entered that way and if I'm not mistaken, that's where the fire was."

They followed him and Harry saw that the roses continued all around the house. They wrapped around the corner of the house and the large porch which held lounge chairs and many pots and planters. Harry had no doubt that twenty years ago they were full of color and beauty. Now, everything was dead. Connecting to this deck was a small room, a breakfast nook perhaps. It had windows on three sides to let in the morning sun, but where the door had been there was only a hole, remnants of the hinges dangling and chips of glass laying untouched. Above this room there was a balcony singed by the fire. The outer wall of this second floor room was badly burned and in places gone completely. The roof was the same way.

"It looks bad, Harry."

"It may take a bit to get it put back together."

"It was burned. It's not like we can just use a reparo spell on it."

"I know, Hermione, but unless your parents would like four teenage wizards on the run from a crazy Dark Lord and the Ministry staying with them, then I don't think we have much of a choice."

"But there could be massive inside damage..."

"Well then, let's take a look, shall we?"

Harry hopped up on the deck and up to the hole in the wall, entering cautiously. The door inside leading to the rest of the house was closed, but unlocked so Harry continued. The house was dusty and had the stale smell of being closed for too long, but looked in good shape. There were dishes sitting out next to the sink and a chair knocked over, but certainly nothing too out of the ordinary. They passed into the dining room and then the sitting room. There Remus stopped.

"James was found here. I don't know how Dumbledore knew as much as he did about it, but he said that Voldemort came in the back, for reasons unknown. Lily went upstairs to get you out. He tried to fight him and fell here." Tears began to pool in Remus' eyes. "Voldemort then continued up the stairs. We think at some point he had put up his own anti-apparition barriers, so Lily tried to escape through the balcony."

Harry had heard all of that before, when the dementors came near him. Being in the very place it happened, hearing Remus retelling it sent a chill up Harry's spine, but he didn't stop Remus from talking. Somehow he knew that Remus needed to say these things that he had not spoken of in so long.

"When Hagrid came you were unconscious on the balcony, within an arm's reach from her."

Hermione reached out a hand to Remus' shoulder as a tear leaked down his cheek. After a few moments he sniffed, wiped his eyes and crossed to the partially opened door at the end of the room. On the other side of the door was the foyer. The front door was to the right, the stairs straight ahead and another door to the far left.

"What's that room?" asked Harry.

"The library. James' mother loved to read and so did yours. I imagine Hermione will be pleased with the selection."

Harry looked back to his friend and grinned. She was staring at the door as if badly wanting to head straight in there to inspect it, but they continued up the stairs.

"Do you feel it, Harry?"

"Yeah. It's not like other magic though. It's different somehow."

Remus stopped in the middle of the stairs. "Different?"

"Well, yeah. It's not that buzzing like the other spells do. With those, I feel where they're coming from and it's more of a vibration. This is... I don't know how to explain it. It's all around me, not coming from one place. And it doesn't buzz, it feels... I don't know, like the air. Like a cloud maybe."

"Is that bad?" asked Hermione.

"No, no. Not bad," said Remus thoughtfully. "Just unusual. But then, this sort of situation has never been documented, so it is all odd. Sorry, Harry, but once again you defy the rules of magic and survival."

"What does this mean for Boy Wonder, then?" asked Draco impatiently from near the bottom of the stairs.

"It means that this place is the best for you all to be. I think I was right about the protective magic still being in effect. I can feel it as well, although much differently than Harry does. I think that he feels the way he does because the magic is bound to his own life. As long as he lives, so will the magic in on this property. It's as if a part of Lily stayed behind. Not in the sense that a ghost would, but the magic created by her love and sacrifice lived long after she had gone. As you know, generally a wizard's magic dies with him. In this case, some of it combined with your own magic, Harry, to protect you."

Remus began to walk up the stairs again, but Harry was still confused.

"If this place is so powerfully protected, then why didn't I grow up here rather than with the Dursleys?"

"A number of reasons. Calling your mother's sister's house your home protected you some even while you were away at school, thanks to Dumbledore's charm working with Lily's magic. Here, there is nothing physical of her, so although the property is protected, you are not. Also, your godfather was in prison, so legally your aunt's family was responsible for you. Even wizards can't get around the law. Who would have raised you here?"

"Anyone! You could have."

"I would have been more than happy to, Harry, but who's going to trust a toddler to a werewolf? Who was going to take care of you during the moon? Who, in our world, could have been trusted to raise you as a child instead of a celebrity? I think if Dumbledore knew how your aunt was going to treat you, he would have tried harder to find another plan, but he did what he felt was best at the time."

They had made it to the top of the stairs and now were faced with a hallway running the length of the house. There was a railing over-looking the staircase and foyer and across from that was the first door. Remus pointed to it, explaining that it was James' room during his childhood. As a married adult it was where all his Quidditch supplies were kept.

"Most of it is probably still there for you boys," he commented.

The next door was on the left. Harry's nursery. It was painted blue and had Golden Snitches all over the ceiling that glowed when the light was off. There were toys all over the floor and a quilt draped over a rocking chair in the corner. Harry couldn't remember being here as a baby, but he closed his eyes and pictured his mother rocking him to sleep.

There was one more door on the left, the bathroom, but past that was a small sitting area with large windows facing into the yard.

"Your grandfather built every bit of this house with your grandmother in mind. She loved reading in the morning, even before breakfast. These windows face east and the sun lights it beautifully. Those stairs there go to the attic. Not much up there. Old family heirlooms and photos. This though," Remus pointed to the last door on the right side of the hall. "This is their room. This is where it happened."

Harry took a deep breath, stepped forward and opened the door.

The walls were black with soot. Everything there, the bed, floor, chairs had all been burned. There was a huge hole in the wall and ceiling letting in the cool Autumn breeze. Harry strode forward, careful not to step where fire had damaged the floor. He stopped on the balcony and looked back in. The magic was strong there.

"_Stand aside you silly girl!"_

"_Not Harry! Please! Have mercy!"_

He thought he could remember sitting there next to his fallen mother. He could almost see Voldemort raising his wand to him. He could feel the spell hit him and shoot back at its caster.

"_Your mother needn't have died... she was trying to protect you..."_

Harry remembered Voldemort telling him that so many years ago when they met while fighting for the Sorcerer's Stone. Suddenly Harry wondered why she didn't have to die. Voldemort had killed many people without a second thought. So why did he give Lily the choice? Why would he allow her to live, but kill her husband and son? Harry had never considered this before. It made no real difference. Voldemort killed her and Harry would kill Voldemort, so it didn't really matter why she was given the choice. Did it? Harry shook himself from his thoughts and looked around at the damage that had been done that night.

"This is where it started," he murmured. "This is where we will end it."

"It doesn't look like there was much damage done," said Hermione. "This room is by far the worst. It looks like there's some water damage from rain leaking in the roof, but not nearly as much as I would expect."

"I think perhaps Dumbledore had a charm over the place to protect both here and downstairs where the door was blasted," said Remus. "When he died, so did the spell. So really, it's only been exposed to the elements since June. No other way to account for the good condition it's in."

"Well, that settles it then," Harry said. "We're moving in. We'll spend this week fixing it up and move in by the end of the month."

"Mate, this is going to take more than a week," said Ron.

"And we'll need a lot of supplies. The muggles will start to ask questions."

"We'll make up answers. I've got money for supplies. And we have magic to help speed things along. Let's go out to the graves. Then we'll get something to eat and start planning."

With one final look at the room, Remus turned and led them outside and down the back lawn.

"How far is it?"

"See those trees over there?" He pointed to the distance where, to Harry, it looked like the edge of a forest. "It's just past there."

"This is all theirs?"

Remus nodded. "It's yours now. You boys will appreciate that clearing over there. James, Sirius and I spent hours each day playing some of the best Quidditch games never seen."

"Did you play too?"

"Not on our house team. Your dad did. Sirius did in our seventh year. He was a Beater. He was good, but I think the main reason he played was for the attention from the girls. I, on the other hand, was terrible. Peter and I were forced into playing usually."

He fell silent after his reference to Wormtail. Harry's mind, meanwhile took him back to that night in third year when he stopped Remus and Sirius from killing the rat. How different things would be! Sirius would have been pardoned. Voldemort may have eventually returned of course, but at the least, he would have been short one follower.

When they made it to the shade of the trees they saw a creek with a small white bridge going over it. It wasn't a very wide creek and didn't look deep. The bridge existed mostly for decoration.

"Your mother used to have picnics down here. In fact, we had your first birthday party here."

They continued to follow Remus over the bridge and across some stepping stones leading through tall bushes. There laid two sets of graves. To the right was a large headstone with the names Harold and Guinevere Potter. To the left laid another headstone similar in size, but this one was decorated with carved vines and flowers.

_James and Lily Potter_

_Beloved parents and friends_

It was harder than Harry thought it would be. Until he was eleven he didn't even know the true story of how his parents died. Aunt Petunia never talked about them. She snapped if he ever asked, so he just learned to accept it. There was so much he still didn't know about them. What was her favorite color? What did he like most about her? Had he been in love with her from the time they first met? Did she go out with anyone else before him? What kind of person did they dream of their son being? Were they planning to have more kids after him? Would they be proud of him now?

Harry was suddenly angry. He had known he would be emotional and sad, but the anger was something he hadn't predicted. He was angry that he missed out on asking his parents these things. He grew up without the guidance of a father or mother. He learned about the "birds and bees" from school and Dudley's dirty magazines. He didn't have birthday parties or learn how to ride a bike or anything that normal kids did. He imagined what would have been different if Voldemort had never come to power. He pictured himself playing Quidditch with his dad while his mum set up a picnic. Maybe Sirius and Remus coming for visits. Harry thought he would have liked to have a little brother or sister.

Slowly, Harry knelt down next to the grave and set the flowers under his mother's name. The other four had stayed back a distance. Draco stayed at the edge of the bushes as if physically unable to come any closer. Hermione had left Ron's side to comfort Remus who made no effort to hide his quiet tears.

Harry thought about Remus having lived all those years alone, without his best friends and the anger grew. Here was a good man who, because of prejudice against his condition, was treated badly by society from a young age. He had perhaps ten years of happiness and friendship before that was ripped away from him too. And it all came down to Voldemort. Voldemort was the reason his friends were all dead. Voldemort was the reason this good person lived in loneliness for so long.

"Mum, Dad," he began in a whisper that couldn't be heard by the others. "I love you. I'm going to fix your house and then I'm going to get him. He will pay for what he did to us, I promise you. You died to save me. Now I will make sure that he never does it to anyone else."

Harry wiped the moisture off both cheeks and stood.

"Take all the time you need," Harry said to Remus.

Harry then left the grave area and walked down to the creek. He sat in the grass and just stared at the running water, no particular thought going through his head. There was too much to think about to concentrate on any one thing. They had to fix the house. They couldn't be found out. They needed to find the Horcruxes. It just was too much and Harry finally had to block it out. He was both thankful for the distraction and annoyed at the interruption when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. He was almost sure it would have been Ron, but was surprised to hear Malfoy's voice.

"You okay, Potter?"

"Are you actually concerned?"

"No," the blond said at once. "It's just, I know... well I don't know how you feel, but I can imagine." He sat down next to Harry, almost too close for comfort. "Weasley and Granger... they don't know. They can say they would die for their family, but they've never been asked to follow through. Their families have never been directly threatened, so they don't know really what they would do. Yours died for you, so all you have left is revenge. Mine... well I think I made it obvious how far I'm willing to go to protect mine."

Harry merely nodded.

"Despite Snape's letter, I still don't know if my mother is really alive. The only hope I have is that if the Dark Lord did kill her he would have made it known so she would serve as an example of what happens to those who cross him. But then I think maybe he's keeping it secret so that I will look for her and expose myself and he will kill me too. It would have worked. If I hadn't found you he would have caught me by now. When I think of that I just want him dead. I want to do whatever I can to pay him back for what he did to us. You're the only other one here that can really understand that."

Draco's words hit close to the very promise Harry had made to his parents only minutes ago. He looked up at Draco then, realizing that he was right. Ron and Hermione could never know that kind of vengeance and anger. They were loyal and brave. They would stand by him until the end. Of that he was sure. But they would never completely understand that part of him. Malfoy was right; they alone could understand each other.

"I don't know why Snape sent that letter or if it's true, but I hope your mum is okay, Malfoy."

"Thanks."


	8. Halloween, Sixteen Years Later

**Chapter 8 - Halloween, Sixteen Years Later**

It wouldn't take long to repair the damage in the house at Godric's Hollow with the use of magic. Harry thought Hermione quite enjoyed looking through the wizarding world's equivalent to home improvement books. They had countless tips for which basic spells come in handy for building and repair. Remus helped out as much as he could, but his time was limited. He had, however, solved their problem with how to carry all the building supplies from town without using magic around the muggles. On their first day at the property he led them out to the garage.

"I don't see any reason why it shouldn't work just fine. It didn't run on oil, like the muggles use. James and Sirius modified it to run on magic."

He swung the door open to reveal a shiny, new (although twenty years old) truck.

"It didn't see much use, I'm sure. Just some trips into town before they had to hide. I'm sure it's the only one this old in such good condition."

"Wow. I've never ridden in one of these before," said Ron.

"I'm not so sure a magical truck is a good idea after the trouble you two got into second year."

"Quit being boring, Hermione. It's not like we're going to fly it."

"Ron, we don't even know how to drive," Harry pointed out.

"We drove my dad's car."

"We flew it. And crashed. There's a subtle difference."

"It was the tree's fault. It can't be that tricky."

Remus opened the truck and sat inside, attempting to start it. But something in the corner had distracted Harry. There looked to be one other vehicle in the garage. This one was much smaller and covered with a large sheet. Remus must have seen what Harry was looking at, for he stopped what he was doing with the truck and followed.

"It can't be..."

Harry ripped the sheet off and there sat the nicest motorcycle Harry had ever seen and he remembered vaguely a mention of Sirius having had a flying motorbike.

"Is this..."

"Sirius'?" finished Remus with a smile. "Yes. I wondered sometimes what happened to it. All Sirius said was that it was in a safe place."

"Does it still fly?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't. The modifications are already in place. All it takes is a few simple charms. But the whole idea for being here is to keep a low profile. It wouldn't do to be seen on a flying bike."

He was right of course. After that they got the truck cleaned off and prepared to go to town for the building supplies. Harry, however, couldn't help but glance at it every time he went out to the garage. One day he would have to at least see how it worked. Not actually fly it of course. That would be irresponsible...

Hermione had assigned them all tasks to make sure the repair went as smoothly as possible. Other than a few minor mix ups (usually involving Malfoy telling Ron a wrong incantation) all did go smoothly. However, after a piece of wood _accidentally_ got charmed to hit Ron on the head repeatedly, Hermione decided the boys should be split. Draco spent the rest of the week helping her clean the inside of the house.

With Harry's permission, they moved the contents of the nursery and spare bedroom up to the attic. Hermione transfigured beds and cleaned windows. Draco insisted on choosing the colors and overall look of each room. Hermione finally let him have his way only because she couldn't deal with his whining if his room wasn't perfect.

After two days of Malfoy working with Hermione, Ron began to get just a little jealous.

"What do you suppose they talk about?"

He and Harry had been on the roof for hours finishing the shingles while Hermione had Malfoy moving things to the attic.

"Probably just about the cleaning and things."

"You don't think they say anything else?"

"What do they possibly have to talk about, Ron?"

"What if he's... you know?" Ron motioned with his hands in a way that didn't really help Harry in figuring out what he was talking about.

"No, I don't know."

"Well, Hermione's a girl..."

"Yes, I think that's been established."

"Well, he could try to... you know, talk to her."

"You think he's going to hit on her?"

"He could."

"She's muggle-born. Doesn't he sort of look down on that?"

"Oh yeah."

Harry rolled his eyes at his best friend's insecurity.

"But still... I don't like him being around her alone."

"Hermione can take care of herself. She would hex him if he tried anything. And she would never cheat on you."

"She wouldn't, would she?" Ron said with a grin.

"I'd be more concerned about them driving each other mad with those beyond-N.E.W.T.-level questions they keep quizzing each other with. I thought she was going to have a breakdown the other day when he proved her wrong in their Ancient Runes debate."

"She was a little scary."

They worked in silence for a few minutes and then Ron cleared his throat.

"Harry, I have something to tell you. 'Mione and me... we... er... Well, there's only three bedrooms here, you know. So we sort of... She wants us– that is, her and me– to share a room."

Harry grinned. "Did you two finally..."

Ron nodded and his ears turned tomato red.

"It's about fucking time you two got together. I've only put up with this shit since fourth year."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Well... Name your firstborn after me and we'll call it even."

Ron grinned. "Sure, mate."

"I'm glad things are working out for you two."

"I'm sorry they couldn't have for you and Gin."

Harry shrugged. "Some things just aren't meant to be. The important thing is that we're both happy with the decision. Life does go on."

Finally, on October thirty-first, the house was ready to officially move in. It wasn't lost on anyone, except maybe Draco, that it was the sixteenth anniversary of Harry's parents' deaths. He hadn't gone back to the graves in the week it took to fix the house, but intended to that night before dinner. He wanted to lay flowers and have some time alone to think about things. The only part he was dreading was going back to the flower shop in town. Every time he had been near there Madeline had made a point of going outside to greet him and he thought if he went to her shop once more he may end up engaged. But Hermione insisted that he go, rather than pick wild flowers, because it would "keep up appearances" with the locals.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Harry. She's just a girl." Hermione was multitasking, as usual, reading her book at the breakfast table.

"She's scary."

"This from the guy who's going to conquer You-Know-Who," drawled Draco from across the room.

"Just for that, you can go with him." She didn't even look up from her book. Harry noticed that was another thing that she and Draco had in common. They could both verbally abuse their house mates without disrupting their daily activities.

"Why would I be in a flower shop with him?"

"You can say that you're helping him pick out flowers for me."

"Why?"

"Oh, I told a couple of the old bats in town that James was dying of lust for Jean."

"You did what?" Harry and Ron yelled simultaneously.

"As long as 'Darren' doesn't want in your knickers too," Malfoy huffed from across the table.

She lowered her book just enough to reveal a very smug smirk. "No unlocking charm in the world would let _you_ into _my_ knickers, Malfoy."

"Hermione, why are you telling those people all these things? What if we forget who's suppose to like who?"

"Relax. I'm not telling them anything that we have to keep up, except for our names. Well, our cover names anyway."

"We shouldn't talk to them at all. It's none of their business."

"You're right, Harry. But do you remember fifth year when no one believed you and I, in my own genius way, got Rita Skeeter to tell your version of Voldemort's return in the Quibbler? Remember, more people read it after Umbridge banned it."

"So?"

She sighed loudly and put down her book. "So, the lesson here is that if people know that there's a secret, they will do whatever they can to find out what it is. But if you're open and friendly with the people in the village, they won't be as likely to go poking their noses in our business."

"Fine. Malfoy and I will go. But if I end up engaged to that girl, it's all your fault."

"I'll be sure to get you a nice gift for the wedding."

So Harry dragged Malfoy to the flower shop with him. Driving through Godric's Hollow wasn't nearly as exciting as their journey through London had been. Godric's Hollow was a very small town, with simple country charm. The clothing store sold mostly jeans and low-end suits and dresses for people who only ever dressed up on Sundays for church. Not the kind of thing that impressed a Malfoy. The movie theater was very old and most of the lights were burned out. The dining options were limited. There was a pizza place and a small diner that specialized in coffee that was almost tolerable.

The visit to the flower shop was... painful. There were a lot of winks and nudges. And the inevitable giggles escaping Malfoy while he tried to pretend not to notice Harry's new love. That's all the blond talked about on the ride back to the house. Once they were back in the garage, however, Harry's attention was once again pulled away by the motorcycle. It couldn't be _that_ hard to learn to fly it. And all the spells were still in a notebook in the garage from when James and Sirius modified the truck. Hermione didn't have to know about it...

"What are you doing, Potter?"

"Just looking at the bike."

"I thought you and Weasley were too scared of Granger to try anything with it."

"I'm not scared of Hermione. Besides, it's my bike and my property. And Hermione and Ron won't be back from London for at least another hour."

"You're taking me with you then."

"You wish."

"You can't leave me here anyway. What if I run away to turn you in to the Dark Lord? Besides, I haven't been flying in ages."

Harry looked at him uncertainly. He had a point.

"What if I crash it? I would feel horrible if you got hurt because of me."

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "No you wouldn't. Come on, Potter."

Harry nodded and went to the work bench where the book of enchantments laid. They were difficult spells, and hard to read in Sirius' messy writing, but after a few tries Harry got them right and the bike roared to life. Harry hopped on and gripped the handlebars, motioning to Malfoy to get on behind him.

"You better hold on."

Draco tentatively put his hands around Harry's waist. "Don't think this means anything, Potter."

"Don't worry, I'm in love with Jean, remember?" And with that he zoomed out the door and into the back yard. Feeling the air on his face was exactly what Harry needed and he sped up. Draco's grip got tighter, but Harry only laughed at him. "Scared Malfoy?"

"Of course not. But would you mind slowing down a bit?"

In answer, Harry pushed the special button and the bike rose into the air. They were barely dodging branches and Malfoy shrieked when he felt leaves go through his hair. And Harry still laughed.

"So you _are_ scared."

"Never, Potter!"

"Then maybe I should go faster."

Sure enough Harry sped up. They were almost at the end of the property, just over the grave

sites. Harry began to turn them around, a little too sharply for Draco's taste, but he didn't scream this time. Finally Harry slowed down to appreciate the view. Malfoy was still gripping him very tightly and Harry realized that he had his eyes shut. He nudged him and the blond looked up, face turning pink with either embarrassment or cold, maybe both. He looked around and smiled, and loosened his grip so that Harry could actually breathe again. Harry tried to ignore the feeling of disappointment when Draco's hands left his waist.

"This is amazing."

"Yeah," said Harry. "I love flying. I've missed this."

"I saw your dad had a couple extra brooms and a set of Quidditch balls. They're up in the attic now, of course, but we could play a game or two."

"We'll have to talk Hermione into it. She doesn't really like flying and isn't very good, but at least we'd have an even amount of players."

"That's okay. The brooms aren't very good either. One was top of the line twenty years ago, but nothing compared to the Nimbus models. The other one is one of the early Comets."

"Probably Mum's."

"Did she play too?"

Harry looked away. "I... I don't really know. I don't know anything about her. The little bit I know about my dad is what Remus and Sirius told me. And now Sirius is gone too."

"But you're here now. And there's tons of their stuff in the attic. Granger insisted on keeping everything organized so you could find it easily. She even made me stack the photo albums chronologically."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes at the thought of Hermione's perfectionism. "Thanks. I might look at those tonight."

"Earlier Weasley asked if you were sure you wanted to move in today, but you didn't want to talk about it. Why...?"

"My parents died sixteen years ago today."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. It happened. It's not like I dwell on it. Or sit down and have a good cry, like Rita Skeeter would say. It's rather fitting actually that I'm back here, finishing what was started here, on the night it happened."

"They would probably roll over in their graves if they knew I was here, huh?"

"No, I don't think so. Sirius, though... he would have a fit if he knew a Malfoy was on his bike."

"Oh..."

"It's okay. He always had a grudge against anyone he was related to. Except Tonks. We better get this back in the garage before Hermione comes back."

"I knew you were afraid of her."

"I'm not, but we'll both have to hear her lecture if she catches us. Hold on."

"We have to pick rooms," said Hermione when she and Ron returned with the last of their things from Grimmauld Place. They had moved many of the books and kitchenware over the past few days while they were working, but the last step was the personal stuff. "I can't believe that we didn't think of it earlier in the week."

"I don't care," said Harry. "You and Ron should get the big room since there's two of you."

"No, Harry. That room belongs to you. It's your house and that's the master bedroom."

"So? I'm just thinking in terms of size. It should be yours. It even has its own bathroom."

"I'll take it if no one else wants it," Draco chimed in and Hermione responded by glaring at him. "What? I helped rebuild it!"

"It belongs to Harry. End of discussion."

"Are you sure?"

"Harry, it's your parents' room. You should be there."

"Okay, fine. I'll take the ridiculously huge room."

"It's only right you're there, Potter. After all, it was probably where you were conceived." Draco sat back in his chair with a satisfied smirk when the three responded with looks of disgust.

"Merlin, Malfoy!" cried Ron. "As if anyone needed that visual! You're really sick, you know that?"

Draco merely shrugged. "Okay, the Boy Who Lived gets the big room. I demand the one closest to the bathroom then."

"Of course you do. Can't be separated from that mirror, can you?"

"If you're lucky, Weasley, I'll give you some tips in how to look like a member of the human race."

"If you're lucky I won't kill you in your sleep."

"Enough, boys! I swear, I feel like your nanny."

Draco scrunched up his nose. "If you're _his_ nanny, I think you may be breaking at least a few laws when you tuck him in at night."

"Malfoy!"

Draco smirked and carried the few possessions he had collected over the past three months up the stairs to his new room.

Harry made his trip to the graves brief in order to be back up to the house for dinner. They were expecting Remus for a late meal, but when he didn't show up right away they started without him.

"I do hope he's okay."

"He's got a lot going on, Hermione. I'm sure he'll owl when he can. He was hesitant about making plans tonight anyway."

"We're missing the feast."

"Already missed it. It's after ten. I'm sure all the first years are coming down off their sugar high by now and getting settled in for the night."

Hermione smiled. "Mum and Dad would have cringed at the thought of all the tooth-decaying stuff they gave us."

"Remember the year we went to Nick's Death Day party?"

"How could I forget?" said Ron with a shudder.

"Honestly, Gryffindors. You had nothing better to do than go to a party with a bunch of ghosts?"

"We were second years, so no. Later on there were more interesting parties in the common room."

"I remember one with a game involving some seventh years stripping."

Hermione frowned, clearly disapproving of such a game. "That was after Fred and George spiked everyone's drinks."

"That party after we won the Quidditch Cup last year was good."

"I wouldn't know," laughed Harry.

Ron threw a piece of bread at him across the table. "I don't want to hear about you and my sister."

"And I don't want to hear anything about Gryffindor sex stories. I'm sorry I even said anything."

"You deserve it, Malfoy. What sort of evil things did the Slytherins get up to? Orgies in the dungeons? All sorts of illegal drugs and dancing until the wee hours?"

"Ugh. Don't ask him about it, Harry. He'll start telling us all about Parkinson in bed or something."

"Weasley, that would make even me puke."

"I thought you two were together."

"We attended classes and one dance together. There's a big difference."

There was the scratching of an owl at the window.

"That's probably Remus." Hermione stood and opened the window to let in the Weasley's owl. "No, it's for you, Ron."

"Mum checking up on us. She could have at least sent some sweets along." He tore it open and read silently. "Oh, no."

"What?"

Ron handed it back to Hermione. She scanned the letter quickly and gasped.

"There was an attack at Hogwarts."


	9. Down To Business

**Chapter Nine - Down to Business **

The day after Halloween Hermione made sure to get a copy of the Daily Prophet. She was out and back with it before breakfast and she read the article to them aloud. No one really wanted to eat anyway. Harry had dark circles under his eyes after sleeping only a few minutes and waking from nightmares. Ron was slouched in his chair staring at the untouched toast. Even Malfoy didn't look his usual perfect self.

"_The attack began shortly after the students had finished a traditional Halloween feast in the Great Hall. The fact that most students had already returned to their House common rooms may have lessened the number of casualties. _

_Death Eaters entered the school through the main entrance and also several of the towers. Divination professor Sibyl Trelawney was severely injured when she was hexed in her office._

'_I had a sense of impending doom all through the evening, but the Inner Eye would not show me what was to come. Sometimes Fate allows these things to happen in order for good to be done later on.'"_

"Of course she felt impending doom," Ron interrupted. "It's not a complete day for that woman without a little doom."

Hermione scowled at him and continued reading.

"_Among the Death Eaters present was the werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, who was also part of the attack last June. It is believed that Greyback is responsible for the death of student Colin Creevey who was making his way back to his common room in Gryffindor Tower at the time."_

"Colin?" asked Harry. "Colin's dead?"

Hermione looked at Harry and Ron both, tears leaking down her cheeks. She sniffed a couple times and held the paper up to hide her face. She continued, but sounded now as if she had a bad cold.

"_There were no witnesses to Creevey's death and the matter is still under investigation._

_Ravenclaw seventh year Terry Boot was killed just outside his common room while defending some younger house mates. The other children received only minor wounds as a result of Boot's bravery. _

_Castle ghosts alerted staff members of the intrusion and the Ministry for Magic was contacted promptly. Unfortunately Death Eaters had already made it into the lower floors, killing a total of seven students and Professor Horace Slughorn."_

"So they finally got him," said Harry. "I bet he didn't go down without a fight!"

"But the Dark Lord wanted him alive," said Draco suddenly. "They were looking for him since at least last year. He was angry when Dumbledore got him to teach. No one knows why."

"I know why," said Harry. "And Voldemort will be very angry when he finds out that Slughorn already told us what we needed. My guess is they tried to bring him in alive, but he wouldn't let them. He made it so they had to kill him. Better that than to be forced to tell Voldemort everything that we know."

"Who were the other students, Hermione?" asked Ron.

She looked back down at the paper and continued reading. _"A group of fourth year students from three different houses were leaving the Great Hall when the Death Eaters entered the building leaving no time to defend themselves. They were; Hufflepuffs Laura Madley, Kevin Whitby, and Eleanor Branstone, Gryffindor Jimmy Peakes, and Slytherin Graham Pritchard._

_Word spread quickly through the country of the attack and some parents showed up to get their children while Ministry aurors were still working to control the situation._

_Headmistress McGonagall was quoted as saying, "This certainly is a shock to all of us. The whole staff is working right now to comfort the students who are still here. This indeed has been a most tragic year for the school and her students."_

_She was of course referring to the murder of the previous Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, last spring at the hands of Hogwarts professor, Severus Snape. The tragedy led the school governors to talks about closing the institution indefinitely, but decided against it. Although school security was updated this past summer, it is possible that Snape used his knowledge of the property to lead the Death Eaters in the attack. Snape was not seen at the school, but authorities have not ruled out the possibility that he was involved._

'_Hogwarts will be closed now through the Christmas holiday,' stated Headmistress McGonagall. 'The governors will, at that time, re-evaluate the decision to remain open.'_

_The Ministry is still making advances in the fight against He Who Must Not Be Named. Several arrests were made last week and Minister Rufus Scrimgeour stated in a press conference that hope was still alive. _

_Meanwhile witches and wizards all over the country are wondering who is going to stop these acts of terror? Harry Potter, the speculated 'Chosen One,' did not return to school this term and no one has any idea where he is or what he may be doing to end this war. The Minister's office has had no comment on the subject._"

Hermione stopped and looked up at Harry.

"Is that it?"

"Other than a note about funeral arrangements, yes."

They sat in silence for several minutes. Finally Draco spoke.

"Did you know any of the others who were killed?"

"Terry Boot," said Ron. "He was in the D.A."

Hermione nodded. "So was Colin. And I didn't know Jimmy very well, but I remember him. He always seemed nice."

"He was," said Ron sadly. "He was on the Quidditch Team last year. I didn't know any of the Hufflepuffs or the Slytherin."

"I knew him," said Draco. "He was a good kid. He didn't get mixed up with the Death Eaters."

"It's my fault," said Harry.

"No, Harry it's not."

"The _Prophet_ was right. What am I doing? I'm no better than the Ministry. I'm sitting here in a fairly protected house while the world falls apart around me."

"It's not your responsibility, mate."

"Would you still feel the same if it was your sister who was killed instead of Colin and Terry?"

"Harry, Ron's right. Ignore the _Prophet_."

"Shouldn't the 'Chosen One' be doing his job?"

"You're only the Chosen One because _you_ choose to be, Harry. You want Voldemort gone just as badly as everyone else; it's just that the fight is more personal to you."

"Yes, that's true. But being as I'm the only one who knows _how_ to defeat him, it _is_ my responsibility. And I've done nothing."

"That's not true! You destroyed– " she broke off suddenly with a look to Malfoy. "You've done a lot already. This takes time though. How long was Dumbledore trying before he died?"

"But I haven't done anything in weeks! Other than training, all I've done is come here. That's not saving lives. That's not stopping him!"

"But it was needed. You needed the training and we needed to set up headquarters here. We weren't safe in London, so this was all a necessary part of the plan. Now that we're here and can be confident in our security we can truly get working on the important stuff! This," she yelled, shaking the paper in his face, "was not your fault!

"Now, _I'm_ going to go back to my research. Anyone who wants to kill Voldemort can follow me into the library. Those who wish to sulk and dishonor the memory of our friends can stay here and choke on their toast!"

With that, she stomped out of the kitchen and slammed the library door shut. The three boys were left staring at each other. Draco was the first to stand. He grabbed a plate and filled it with muffins and fruit from the bowl on the table.

"Well, she wanted my help with that jinx we talked about last week. Better get to work."

After he left, Ron and Harry looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Did Malfoy just voluntarily go help Hermione?"

"I think so," said Ron.

"We're pathetic."

Ron nodded. "Don't feel guilty about what happened. It doesn't matter what you could have done. He wouldn't be dead yet anyway. There's only so fast you can get this done. I don't think Dumbledore would have expected you to find all the Horcruxes by now. Come on. I'm not leaving Malfoy alone in there with Hermione."

Ron stood and began making his way to the library and Harry reluctantly followed.

"Do you still think he's going to steal your girlfriend?"

Ron merely grumbled in response all the way to the library.

By the end of the day they were all emotionally exhausted. There was a renewed sense of urgency in their tasks and, although they didn't make any huge discoveries, they all had agreed that just the idea that they were doing all they could was rewarding.

Hermione and Ron had gone to bed early, ignoring Draco's snide remarks about "breaking in the new room." Harry and Draco ended up each wrapped in their own blanket at opposite ends of the sofa and facing each other. They had been silently reading most of the evening, but eventually fell into quiet conversation about anything they could think of, both putting off going upstairs where they may be forced to think about what was going on behind the first bedroom door.

"Do you think that if you hadn't met Weasley right away you would have taken my hand back in first year?"

Harry thought about it for a few moments, brow furrowed and eyes on the blanket before him.

"I don't think so. Whether or not you made fun of my friend, you had already acted like a spoiled brat, like you were better than everyone else."

Draco nodded.

"Although, if I hadn't met Ron, then I wouldn't have known anything about Slytherin House and then I wouldn't have asked the Sorting Hat not to put me there. So we may have ended up in the same house."

"You told the hat where to put you?"

"Yeah. Sort of. I was told that basically everyone in that house was Dark, so I didn't want to be there."

"Not everyone there is bad. And there have been Death Eaters from others houses."

"Well, I realize that now. At the time I was a dumb eleven-year-old and had only known about the Wizarding World for about a month."

"You...didn't know? At all?"

"Nope. I was told my parents died in a car crash–the same crash that allegedly gave me my scar–and I was never told anything about them until my eleventh birthday when Hagrid personally delivered my Hogwarts letter. I lived with my nosey aunt, fat uncle, and even fatter cousin. They treated me like their house elf all my life, usually forgot my birthday, and I'm very glad I never have to go back there again."

"I knew you didn't like the muggles you lived with, but I didn't know it was that bad. That's what I don't get about you, Potter. You still think muggles are okay after all that?"

Harry shrugged.

"My mother wasn't like that. Hermione and her parents aren't like that. Most muggles aren't. I'm just lucky enough to have found three of them who are."

"Yeah, real lucky."

"Do you still hate Hermione?"

"Why? You trying to trick me into admitting something?"

"No. I just want to know. You seem to be getting along with her. You've been working together."

It was Draco's turn to shrug. "She's tolerable."

"Voldemort himself is only a half-blood, you know."

"Is that true? I'd heard that before, but never really believed it. Why would he hate them so much if he is one?"

"His mum was pure blood, descended from Salazar Slytherin, but his dad was a muggle. And an arsehole too. Based on that, I can kind of understand why he hates them so much. He didn't want anything to do with his son because he found out that Voldemort's mum was a witch who had tricked him with a love potion. When he left her, she was so distraught that she got sick and died not long after the baby was born. So really, now that I think about it, she wasn't any better than the muggle father."

"How do you mean?"

"She didn't care about her son enough to live. She was too selfish. Just because she couldn't have the bloke she wanted, she left her baby behind to be raised in a muggle orphanage. If she had been any kind of real mother maybe he would have turned out different and we wouldn't be in another war. That's why I don't think blood matters. The pure-blood mother died selfishly, abandoning her son. My muggle-born mother died to save me. And blood obviously can't have much effect on ability because Hermione can do more magic than most wizards twice her age. Voldemort and Snape are powerful and they're both half-bloods. Blood is just another excuse to hate."

Draco was quiet for a few moments.

"Maybe," he finally murmured.

Harry felt as if he was getting closer to Draco by the moment. It wasn't as if Ron or Hermione were noticing anything but each other anymore. He needed someone to talk to and he felt strangely safe with Draco. Much of the awkwardness between them had slowly faded over the months. Every so often Harry still thought about the things Fleur's brother had said to him at the wedding. That one encounter had awaken feelings in him that he supposed were always there, but merely overlooked. So he liked boys. Who cared?

Draco might care a lot if he knew about the dreams that Harry had been having. They were getting more frequent and intense. Several times Harry had woken in the night, sweat dripping down his face, heart racing, to a throbbing erection. The first time it happened Harry didn't think he would be able to ever look Malfoy in the face again. As a sign of how easy and natural their relationship had become, that day was like any other and Harry didn't remember, until late into the night again, to be embarrassed.

Most days at Godric's Hollow were pretty much the same as the one before. They researched most of the day, with whoever was cooking stopping early to plan meals. In the afternoon they held training sessions in the cellar. They still had Draco researching the Hogwarts Founders and any artifact of theirs that would still be in existence. Some days he helped Hermione in her search for useful spells. She was finding all sorts of new curses for defense and ideas to add to the security of their headquarters. Most importantly, they had recently gotten into medical charms. None of them had taken any healing courses at school and Hermione was worried that if one of them got hurt it would be a huge security breach to go to St. Mungo's or even to Madame Pomfrey. She and Draco had taken to burying themselves in medical books, learning the basic healing charms for cuts and minor hexes.

"Where was that book on healing cursed wounds?" She was digging through a stack of paper and ancient books and Harry and Ron were amazed that she could find anything in the mess.

"Oh, I took that upstairs last night. It put me right to sleep."

Harry and Ron both laughed while Hermione frowned and put her hands on her hips.

"Fine, I'll go get it."

As soon as Draco left the room Harry updated them on his progress in Dumbledore's notebooks. It had come to the point where he really needed to go looking for the next Horcrux. They had decided that Borgin and Burkes was the best choice to look first. The store in Knockturn Alley was, for lack of a better term, safe. Unlike the other possibilities, they knew its location and it didn't require a vast amount of traveling. The only problem was that only two of them had ever been inside it before and it wasn't to get a feel for its layout. Not to mention that three teenagers wandering around Knockturn Alley was sure to draw some unwanted attention.

"We would have to go after dark, but we still don't know where to start looking. Any ideas?"

"I don't know Hermione. I've only been in there once."

Draco walked back in then with the book.

"Maybe he knows," she said, indicating the blond.

"Maybe I know what?"

Hermione and Harry shared a "why not" look, but Ron was opposed.

"You're not asking him! He'll know too much then!"

"We don't have all that many options. What Malfoy may know could save us a month of searching!"

"And then he could take all he knows back to You-Know-Who and we'll all be dead."

Harry opened his mouth to defend Draco, but was cut off.

"I am not going back to the Dark Lord. I already know plenty about where we are and the security wards that you'd all be dead already if I was still working for him. I'm not begging to be told anything, but I want to help however I can. And I do find it a little insulting that after months of all of us living together you still think I'm going to betray you. Not to mention, that Potter still has my wand locked up! Am I the only one who remembers that?"

"He's right, Ron. We have to trust him sometime. Hermione?"

She nodded in response and Harry turned to Draco to explain what they needed.

"We think that something we're looking for might be hidden at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley."

"Like a weapon? Merchandise?"

"No, it wouldn't be for sale and it's not exactly a weapon. What do you know about the building itself?"

"I know the layout of the store area, but nothing about the back room or anything. I know the original proprietors used to live in a flat above the shop while the business was just starting. That was ages ago."

"That's getting closer," said Hermione.

"It wouldn't be somewhere obvious where other people are staying. How about any secret rooms? The cellar?"

"I told you I've never been in back... Wait, there was that one... But that was closed off a long time ago."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What was?"

"Well there was a story, legend really, of Caractacus Burke, the original owner. See, after the store really got going Borgin got married and moved out of the shop. Burke stayed there for a while longer. Around that time the Goblins at Gringotts went through and checked the safes for attempted robberies– like they do every ten or twenty years– and found a couple corpses in one. They tried to rob a vault and were sucked inside and stuck there. It was big news. Loads of people were speculating on who they were and what they were trying to steal. Some were talking about how to pull off a robbery there. You know how people think they can do something better, but don't have the balls to carry it out. Well, Burke was one of them. Or so everyone at the bar that night thought. He was young and cocky and said that the best way would be to dig a tunnel deep under Diagon Alley and go directly into the underground vaults that way. You know how deep those go... there are some levels that don't have any vaults yet. When the upper levels get full, the Goblins go down and build more safes, but they say that there are miles of tunnels under there that are empty. Burke's plan was to dig his way into the lower levels and try to get around the security that way."

"Did it work?"

"They say he didn't make it all the way into Gringotts. Apparently he was not a very discreet drunk and someone tipped off the Goblins. They closed off the tunnel and then doubled their security in the lower levels. He used his Dark connections to stay out of jail and continued running the store until he died some fifty years later."

"That's perfect," said Harry.

"The tunnel doesn't go all the way through," Ron reminded him.

"It doesn't matter. Voldemort worked there. If he knew it existed it wouldn't take much for someone as powerful as him to finish the job. It could be hidden in the tunnel, but I'd bet anything it's in the bank itself."

"How? You heard Malfoy, they doubled security down there."

"But he's done it before," said Hermione. "Remember first year when someone broke into Gringotts to rob Dumbledore's vault? It was actually Quirrel, but with Voldemort's help. He probably used the tunnel to get in, since he used it before, for the, uh, other thing."

"Exactly. Not to mention Voldemort is arrogant enough to want to do it. He has the power to go in and take whatever he wants, but instead he hides his own treasure there with no one knowing."

"So how are we going to get it out?" asked Ron.

Harry merely grinned, although Hermione's face was much more sober.

"No, Harry. We can't break into Gringotts! It's impossible."

"Obviously not, if it's been done before."

"Yeah, but that was You-Know-Who."

"Did you think this whole mission was going to be easy?"

"No, but..." Ron sighed. There was no point arguing. It had to be done and they were the only ones to do it. "When do we go?"

"As soon as possible. First we have to find everything we can on what kind of security is down there. The more we know the better."

"I found some Gringotts history just last week in a book," said Malfoy.

"Did you happen to find anything more about the founders?"

"Nothing about artifacts. I did find one biographer who insisted that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor had an affair and when it ended badly that's really what started the rivalry between the two houses." He finished his sentence with a suggestive raise in his eyebrows and a smirk.

"I've never read that."

"Well _Hogwarts; A History_ doesn't generally speculate on the sexuality of its subjects." After months of living with the brainy brunette, Draco had picked up on the fact that it was her favorite book to quote.

"As if anyone would read it if it did," said Ron. "Nobody wants to hear about their hero's gay affairs."

Harry had gone very quiet and looked away, which went unnoticed by all but Draco. Harry could feel the blond's eyes on him and looked up. They shared only the briefest glance, but Harry felt terribly exposed during it. He busied himself with papers in front of him and pretended not to notice when Draco spoke again.

"Not all heros have to be straight, Weasley."

"I didn't say they have to be. It's just that most people would rather they were."

That didn't help Harry much at all. He still couldn't tell what Ron's view on it was. Every day confirmed for Harry what he was. He may have never kissed a boy, but in his dreams he did more than that. He was already terrified that Ron and Hermione wouldn't accept that he liked boys. They were the most important people in his life, and he couldn't stand to lose their friendship. But at the same time he couldn't bear the thought of hiding it from them forever. Especially if he ever expected to have a real relationship.

Malfoy knew. That look said everything. He could see what Harry was hiding and, in his own way, defended him to Ron and encouraged him at the same time. _Not all heroes have to be straight._ Maybe if Draco knew exactly what Harry had been dreaming and imagining he wouldn't have been as ready to speak up. It is one thing to say you're open-minded, but it's quite another to be gracious when you're the subject of gay fantasies.


	10. The Secret Vault

**Chapter 10 - The Secret Vault**

For two weeks Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco continued to research Gringotts Bank and found all they could about the tunnel that supposedly began in the cellar of Borgin and Burkes. Finally, in mid November, Harry felt that they were ready to go.

He was very nervous as he packed his invisibility cloak getting ready to leave. When he left with Dumbledore there hadn't been much time for nerves. And he had been with the greatest wizard in the world, so there wasn't much need to worry until they were well into the mission. This time it was just him and his friends and they were planning to go into a very dangerous situation. They'd been in plenty of those before, but it was never so planned out. Usually it was just a spur of the moment decision to risk his life. And this time Harry knew exactly what to expect. He knew how well the Horcrux would be hidden and what kinds of traps to expect from Voldemort. Worst of all, he knew what kind of danger he was leading his best friends into.

Oddly enough, the only part that Harry wasn't nervous about was taking Malfoy along. They had argued about this for days. Ron was completely opposed to him going. Harry was completely in favor. And Hermione was undecided. Whether it was because she didn't want to go against Ron or if she was truly having doubts about the blond's loyalty, Harry didn't know, but eventually she agreed that they needed Malfoy's help. He knew his way around Knockturn Alley and knew more about the tunnel than the others. He also had become quite knowledgeable in medical magic and Hermione wanted him along to help if there was an injury. They were even giving him his wand for the night, which is something that sent Ron into a rage when he found out. He was certain that Draco would kill them all at the first available moment.

"Just remember," he had said to Draco before they left, "I'm going to be watching you very closely."

Draco smirked at him, "You know, I believe that. However, if I were going to try something, your words wouldn't have scared me off. You have to work on that intimidation a little, Weasley. Death Eaters aren't scared of hot-tempered redheads."

That only made Ron even angrier and he refused to let Malfoy out of his sight. Draco walked ahead with Harry, while Ron and Hermione followed. They apparated to the entrance to Diagon Alley just before dark. Hidden under dark cloaks, they made their way to Knockturn Alley and past Borgin and Burkes. There were few people around; most didn't stay down that particular street past dark anyway. They waited until they were sure no one was watching and ducked down an alley between Borgin and Burkes and the apothecary next door. From there, Hermione led the way breaking into the back of the shop with one of the many spells she had found in a book. Harry snuck out into the main part of the store, making sure no one was there and then closed the back room door so that they could light their wands without being seen from the street.

"Look for any sign of a hidden door," said Harry once they were down the cellar stairs.

"Do you feel anything, Harry?"

"No, but there's too much magical energy in this part of town to feel any subtle differences."

"Are you trying at least?"

"No, I just thought we could spend the night staring at walls."

"No need to get huffy."

"No need to get condescending either. Ron, you see any clues?"

"Nah. Hey, where's the ferret?"

"In here," Draco called from the next room.

"Find anything?"

"How about a giant hole in the wall marked 'Keep Out'?"

"Are you serious?" Harry asked coming around the corner.

To his amazement, there was indeed a hole, reinforced with wooden beams. It was the size of the average door frame and there were just some flimsy boards nailed across it which held various warnings about not entering.

"The room was locked, but it opened with just alohamora. There were no other locks or spells."

"That was their idea of stopping people from going in?" said Ron.

"No," said Harry, "The boards just act as a door. They're giving you the choice of whether to go in or not. They probably figured there was no point hiding the tunnel if people already knew it was there."

"What do you think is behind there?"

"Maybe nothing for a while. It might not begin until you get closer to the vaults. The good news is I don't t feel any wards that would physically keep us out. That means that Burke probably didn't make it all the way to the bank. Of course there's always the possibility that they collapsed the tunnel further down. We'll just have to go in and find out. Let's climb in between the boards. We don't want to leave any clues that we were here. Come on."

Even with all four wands lit the tunnel seemed dark. After about ten minutes of walking the path narrowed a bit and there were places where Ron, as the tallest of the group, had to stoop down just to get through.

"He must have got lazy, huh?" Harry commented.

"The Burkes have always been underachievers," Draco replied. "I wouldn't be surprised if we end up crawling into Gringotts."

Most of the journey was downhill. There were sections where it leveled out for a bit and then continued its steep slope again. Normally, the journey from Knockturn Alley to Gringotts would have taken less than twenty minutes, but Burke's plan had been to go into some of the deepest vaults and that took time. The air was getting very cold and Harry guessed that they'd been walking for thirty minutes when they came to a large, iron gate with a sign hanging from it.

_Property of Gringotts Wizarding Bank of London_

_No Trespassing _

"I don't feel anything on the gate or sign."

"Nothing?" exclaimed Hermione. "It's Gringotts, there has to be _something._"

"No. Except an Apparition barrier that begins here."

"Everyone knows the kind of security Gringotts has," said Malfoy. "For most people, just seeing the sign is enough to turn around."

"Yes, but wouldn't Voldemort have left some kind of enchantments?" asked Ron.

"No. Just in case the Goblins stopped by to check their gate, he wouldn't have left any evidence he, or anyone else, was here."

"Potter's right. I think I can see the end of the tunnel from here. That's where we'll most likely see the Dark Lord's work."

Harry cautiously pushed the gate open. He didn't think there were any booby traps, but it didn't hurt to be careful. The tunnel was even narrower there and they could only go through it one at a time. Harry went first, lit wand out before him. Ron thought it was a better idea to send Malfoy through first, in case there were any traps, but this only earned him a slap on the arm from Hermione and Harry went ahead.

Malfoy had been right about the end of the tunnel being so close. It simply ended with a wall of stone and earth and nothing to indicate that anyone had ever been there other than a single torch hanging on the side wall. But Harry could feel the magical energy.

"Don't touch anything."

"I can feel the magic too," said Hermione.

"Somehow we've got to get the door to open."

"Didn't the one in the cave want blood or something?"

"Doesn't mean that this is the same."

"Maybe there's a clue somewhere," said Ron. "If we light the torch we could see better."

"No! Don't touch it. He would have cursed it."

"How do you know?"

Harry shook his head. "Just a feeling. In the cave, everything was very precise. There was no room for error. We had to do it exactly the way that he wanted or else it wouldn't work. He would think that lighting the torch is a sign of weakness or insecurity."

"I think you know far too much about him, Potter."

"I'd rather I didn't, but as long as I do, I'm going to use it to my advantage." He paused, feeling the wall. "It feels like some sort of transfiguration was used here."

"A concealment spell," said Hermione. "To cover up the proper way through."

Harry agreed that it was, but his first try at removing it brought nothing. Hermione and Draco both suggested various counter spells, but none worked.

"Harry," said Ron finally. "The Marauder's Map. No reveal spell works on that, you have to say the right words. Almost like a password. What if this is the same?"

Harry was proud that his best friend came up with it. Usually it was Hermione with all the really bright ideas, but she didn't think sneaky enough. And she never really liked the map either. It did present a problem though. What kind of code would Voldemort use? Harry had never asked the twins how they figured out how to use the Marauders Map. How many combinations of words had they tried before they got the right ones?

"Anyone have ideas?"

"Maybe you could try something in parseltongue."

"There aren't any snakes here."

"Well then I don't know."

"Quick someone, write this down. Granger doesn't know the answer. It's got to be a first, right?"

"We could always offer you as sacrifice, Malfoy."

"It doesn't want a sacrifice, it wants words. Ron was right. I have to think of something Voldemort would say."

"How about asking the Junior Death Eater?" said Ron. "Any super secret Death Eater slogans, Malfoy?"

"Kill mudbloods." Ron scowled at him. "What? It's not like they're some after-school club with code words and secret handshakes. The Dark Lord says a lot of things. Some are repeated occasionally, but most are better forgotten."

Harry thought about the times he'd come face to face with the monster. What things had he said that would have relevance here, at the hiding place for his Horcrux? He had said many things about power and immortality over the years. Harry clearly remembered his speech to his own Death Eaters the night he had regained his body about his goal to conquer death–

And then Harry realized that was it. It was the whole point of having Horcruxes in the first place. Something he had always desired. Anyone else might think that the most powerful Dark wizard desired power or control or riches. But Harry knew that Voldemort only desired those things because it would give him access to the one thing he truly wanted: immortality.

Instinctively, Harry put his wand out, touched the wall in front of him and spoke very clearly, "To conquer death."

Even though he'd been expecting something, he jumped in surprise when the stone and dirt opened from an invisible seam in the middle to allow them through. He turned to look at the others and smiled.

Ron seemed somewhat horrified. "Like Malfoy said; you know far too much about him."

"I just hope that after he's dead I can forget."

The path was even narrower on the other side of the door and they were forced to continue in single file. Harry led the way, but even with his wand lit to its brightest he didn't see the huge hole in the path. It wasn't a far drop, not even twenty feet, but it took him by surprise, and he hit hard. When he looked back up at the ceiling of the cave he didn't see where he had come out from, but he could hear the confusion of the others above him.

"Potter! Where the fuck are you?"

"What did you do to him, Malfoy?"

"Nothing Weasel! Potter!"

"I'm here! I'm okay!"

"What the fuck happened?"

"Uh... I fell I guess." The ceiling was rather low and Harry felt along the hard rock until he came to where his hand went right through. It looked just like the rest of his surroundings, but there was nothing really there. Voldemort had used a concealment charm to hide his entrance just in case the goblins ever wandered back there. Too bad he hadn't also put a cushion at the bottom, Harry thought, rubbing the sore spot on his backside. He transfigured a rock into a fluffy mattress.

"It's safe, go ahead and come down."

One by one they landed safely.

"Lucky this cushion was here, huh?" said Ron.

Harry snorted. "Lucky I'm not quite as bad in Transfiguration as I am Potions."

"Look up ahead!" said Hermione. "There's light, it could be one of the main tunnels in the bank."

"Be careful," said Harry.

"So whose traps should we be more scared of? His? Or the Goblins'?" asked Ron

That was a good question and one that Harry couldn't answer. And maybe that was the whole point. Goblins defend gold the same way Voldemort would defend his immortality. He must have figured that only a wizard with near the same magical abilities as himself would be able to get through the bank. The location was part of the security.

As they emerged from the tunnel, Harry could see the track that the bank cart used to transport its customers, but there were no vaults in that particular section. The main tunnel extended right and left, but they could already see several smaller ones branching off from that. The passage was lit with torches every thirty feet or so, but it was still very dim.

"Which way now?"

"Further down," said Harry, pointing to the left where the path sloped downward. "We're not deep enough."

They followed that tunnel for twenty minutes as it went deeper and the air got even colder. So far they hadn't seen any sign that there were traps, but finally, they came to a fork in the road. One way lead to higher ground, while the other went deeper and they could see the end of it just a little further ahead. The end was lit brighter and as they got closer they saw that it opened into a much larger room.

Standing at the entrance to the room Harry saw several things that troubled him. First, there were no less than eight passageways leading out of the room and he had no way of knowing which one to follow. Second, there was a very large dragon curled up facing away from them on the opposite side of the room. He would recognize it anywhere. Scaly black skin and large horns protruding from its tail. There was a huge opening, not far from the beast, to Harry's far right, where no tracks went and Harry assumed that it was the dragon's tunnel where the others may be. Harry's stomach flipped as he thought about how they were going to get past it. He motioned for the others to go back inside the tunnel with him while he thought about it.

"Do you realize how deep we are, Harry?" Hermione whispered. "I could see the tracks that the trolley takes through the bank far above us."

"No, I didn't see that. I was too busy staring at the Hungarian Horntail across the room."

"I saw that too."

"How do you know it was a Horntail?" asked Ron, craning his neck to see back into the dragon's room.

Harry gave him a look that clearly said "How the hell do you think" and turned back to Hermione. "Any ideas?"

"We could try to stun it if it wakes up."

"The last time I saw someone do that there were several trained professionals all firing at the same time. I doubt the four of us could handle it."

"Let's just try to sneak past it and if it wakes up we'll run into the tunnels. It can't eat us in there."

"I'm not worried about getting eaten, Ron. I'm much more concerned with getting burnt to a crisp. The Horntail has a range of more than forty feet. I've heard it can do fifty. So unless you can run really fast, then we'll come up with something else."

"How about a shield charm," said Malfoy. "If we all cast it at the same time then it would definitely hold long enough to get out of range."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "That would work. And you didn't want to bring him, Ron."

Ron scowled, but they all agreed that was the best option and headed back to the mouth of the dragon's lair.

"How do we know which tunnel?"

"I don't know. We better mark this one though or we'll never find it again on the way back."

Hermione nodded and put a red "X" next to their tunnel. Harry began examining each tunnel, starting at the first one to the left of where they originated. The first two didn't seem to slope at all and the third went up, so he passed them without much consideration. The fourth, however, continued to go downward, so Harry felt along its edges for any sign of magic. Not finding any, he went on to the fifth and then the sixth. That one was tricky because he was coming nearer to the sleeping dragon and he didn't know how easily they woke up. He could feel the warmth of the creature's breath on his legs, but it didn't stir.

Luckily, it was the last one that he had to try. He felt magic on it right away and then noticed a small, but clear snake magically engraved into the stone. It was so faint that he doubted that the goblins or anyone would have noticed it without looking for it. Still wary of the dragon, Harry motioned his friends to follow him into the tunnel.

They carried on in complete silence afraid they may wake whatever else lay there. At one point they passed holes in the tunnel wall that were like windows overlooking an underground lake much like the one that Harry always passed on the way to his own vault. There they saw more dragons gathered, sleeping and a big doorway the size of the one they'd seen in the Horntail's room. Everything was connected and Harry realized that even when they couldn't see the dragons, the dragons could see and hear anyone in the tunnels that their flames could reach. They hurried past the lake and continued their journey into the cold depths.

It wasn't long after the lake that they came to the end of the tracks. They hadn't seen a vault in several minutes and the path ahead was no longer lit for them. Harry felt around and found the snake. They were still going the right way. Several times they came to another fork and Harry took the path with the snake on it, while Hermione marked where they had come from.

The only sound Harry had heard since they found the dragon was four sets of feet hitting the stone floor, so when one of them stopped suddenly Harry stopped too and turned. Hermione had stopped and was facing back down the dark passage.

"What is it?" Harry whispered.

"I heard something behind me."

"What do you see?"

"Rocks and darkness."

"It's your imagination then. Come on."

They walked a few more yards when she stopped again.

"I know I heard something."

Harry finally went back to where she was standing and looked around. He finally looked back down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't afford to have you crack up on me now."

"Harry James Potter, I am not crazy! There is something back there somewhere."

"I didn't say you were crazy, but the dark can play tricks on you."

"Well I hope you're so sure of yourself when I'm eaten by some creature in the dark."

Harry rolled his eyes and kept walking.

"Oh you probably won't even notice. You'll just say 'Hermione, stop joking around' and keep right on."

Harry really didn't want to argue with her, so he said nothing again and focused on the magic. He hadn't felt the goblins' magic in a while and had begun to ignore the little bit of energy the lumos charm put forth, so when Harry suddenly felt a very strong power and mixture of types of magic, he stopped.

"Is this it?" Hermione whispered.

Harry didn't answer, but felt along the wall to where the magic was strongest. In the center of the energy source was a small snake just like the ones he had been following all along. The magic was different though. It wasn't just a snake left on the wall. There were other magics behind the snake. Many charms and curses filled the wall.

"It's another password sort of thing, I think."

Harry ran his hand over the little snake and another picture appeared next to it. This one was a wizard and he looked as if he was talking to the snake. Harry knew what he had to do. He bent down next to the door and hissed "open" in Parseltongue. The doors automatically began to reveal a room even bigger than Harry's own vault and filled with gold coins and chests of jewels and trinkets. It was lit brightly on the inside with magical torches. All four of them stood in shock, staring at the treasure. It reminded Harry of pirate movies. After raiding villages the pirate captain buries the treasure on some sandy island with an "X" marking the spot. He hadn't thought of Voldemort in that way before. Had he stolen riches from the people he killed? Was there any particular significance in the items he had placed here?

"Oh Harry," Hermione finally managed. "How are we ever going to find it?"

"A lot of looking. At least we know it has to be here. How many other people besides me and him can speak Parseltongue? Even if the Goblins ever noticed it, they wouldn't be able to open it."

"It would help if I knew what we were looking for," drawled Malfoy.

"We're not completely sure. It may be that cup of Helga Hufflepuff's. Or something from one of the other founders. Try not to touch anything."

"How are you going to get it then?"

"Just trust me. If you find something let me know."

Harry entered the secret vault first, feeling a tingle of magical energy go through his body. He was missing something. It was subtle, but there was just something that wasn't quite right about it. He cautiously motioned for the others to follow, holding his breath as they entered. When nothing happened, they began searching the vault, but Harry knew it could take hours, possibly the whole rest of the night. He didn't figure the goblins often came to the lower levels, but he didn't fancy finding out. Not to mention they would have a hell of a time explaining why they were emerging from Borgin and Burkes cellar in the morning.

"There's some really old stuff in here," said Draco. He knelt down next to some of the treasure. "This edition of the Galleon hasn't been used since the middle ages. Father has a few in his collection, but they're very rare."

"Don't touch it."

"I'm not. Look, there's Romanian currency too. Actually there's some I've never seen before. And this all belongs to him?"

"It must."

"Where did he get it all?" asked Ron.

"From the people he killed probably."

"What would You-Know-Who want with a bunch of money that he can't even easily get out?"

"Trophies," said Harry, thinking of young Tom Riddle and his collection of stolen items at the orphanage. "Keep looking. I don't really want to stay here any longer than absolutely necessary."

"I still don't get what we're looking for or why. How can you know it's here if you don't know what it is? How do you know it's not one of these million or so coins?"

"It's not. But it could be jewelry."

"Harry this chest over here is locked."

Harry rushed over to where Hermione was standing on the far end of the room next to a small wooden chest with gold latches. There was no lock on it, but it was sealed tight. Ron and Draco had both stopped their search to watch Harry.

"An unlocking charm?"

"Worth a try."

But of course it didn't work. Harry laid his hands on it, attempting to figure out what kind of spell had been used. It was faint.

"What do you think?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know. The spell is older than me and there's other magic in the object of course, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's been transfigured."

"This is it."

Harry looked up at her and smiled. "You wanna do the honors?"

"Me?"

"You're better at transfiguration than I am, and I'm sure it will have to be precise or it won't work at all."

She took her wand out confidently and waved it toward the chest. The others watched in amazement as the chest transformed into a beautiful gold cup with two small handles and a badger engraved on the front. Harry recognized it at once from the scene he saw in the pensieve. Hermione reached out to take it, but Harry grabbed her hand first, remembering Dumbledore's injured limb as a result of Slytherin's ring.

"It could be cursed."

"Can you feel it?"

"I feel something. But with all the other magic in it, I can't tell if it is."

"Levitate it," suggested Malfoy.

That didn't work either. Neither did trying to pick it up with his hands covered with the edge of his robes.

"He wants me to pick it up with my hand."

"Harry..." she sounded anxious, but he didn't look up at her.

"I know. But there's no other way."

Harry slowly reached his hand out to the cup. Hermione inhaled sharply when the cool metal connected with his skin. But nothing happened. He had been prepared for pain or burning, perhaps even some delirious state like Dumbledore had been in after drinking the green potion. But he felt completely normal. He looked back at Hermione, confused, picking it up from the floor as he did so.

And then it happened. The floor began to give way. Hermione screamed and Harry looked down to see that the stone floor that had been there was now quicksand and he had already sank up to his ankles. Ron and Draco were close enough to the door that they'd been able to step into the solid doorway before becoming trapped in the mush. Harry and Hermione were at the very end of the large room though, and now unable to free themselves. Ron was yelling at them, panicked and Harry found it was hard to think with all the shouting. The more he tried to move the faster he sunk.

"Shut up, Ron! Hermione, do you have ideas?"

"Uh..."

"Sooner, rather than later would be nice."

"Ron, try to levitate us out."

Ron said the incantation and his "swish and flick" was perfect, but nothing happened.

"Shit. The anti-levitation wards were on more than just the cup!"

"Conjure ropes or something and pull us out. Hurry!"

They were up to their waists in muck now.

"I'm no good at conjuring."

"Here, let me," said Draco. "If we wait any longer they'll be too far in to pull out."

He conjured two ropes and gave one to Ron, while he threw the other to Harry and started pulling him. It was hard work, the quicksand being thick and unwilling to give up its victim.

"God you're heavy Hermione."

Despite the circumstances, Draco let out a laugh at that.

"I'll remember to slap you for that later, Ron. Right now just get me out of here!"

Once Harry was out he stayed on the cool stone floor trying to catch his breath and then glanced up at Draco.

"Thanks, Malfoy."

"Yes," said Hermione. "Thank you."

"Not bad for not doing any magic since July."

"Let's get the fuck out of here."

Harry started to leave, but Hermione's gasp made him turn.

"Look!" She was pointing to the secret vault where the quicksand was turning back to stone once more. All the treasure had come back to the surface and laid there just the same as when they first entered. It was as if nothing had happened.

"Genius," said Harry. "It kills you and then leaves everything perfectly the way it was. And if there hadn't have been more than one of us it would have worked."

"The important thing is that we got it," said Ron.

"Yeah." Harry looked down at the cup in his hand and the same creepy feeling came across him that he had when holding the locket. A piece of Voldemort's soul was in his hands.

"Let's go," said Malfoy. "It's still a long way out."

Harry nodded. "Hermione, remember to get rid of the marks you made, too. If anyone finds out that someone was here Voldemort may come down here himself to make sure it's still here. As far as he knows, he's the only one who's ever made it this far."

They continued back the way they came, but not five minutes after they started Hermione had stopped on the path again.

"Merlin, 'Mione. You don't still hear it, do you?"

"I didn't when we were in the vault."

"See," said Harry. "That's just proof that it's the dark and quiet playing tricks."

"It's not."

Harry shook his head and began walking again.

"Hang on," said Ron suddenly. "I hear it too."

"There, see, it's not just me!"

Ron and Draco both turned back with their wands out and looked behind Hermione.

"Is that a rock?"

Draco bent down to pick it up when it suddenly jumped up to reveal a small, hairy body underneath his rock-like head. Malfoy let out a cry and jumped back as the creature lunged at him. Ron tried to get a good aim at it with his wand and when that wasn't possible he finally just kicked the thing. It landed a few feet away and got up again, but before it could decide what to do Harry stunned it.

"What the fuck was that?"

"I think," said Hermione, moving closer to it. "It's a Pogrebin. They're supposed to live in Russia though."

"Well, Gringotts imported a Hungarian dragon, so I reckon they can import a Russian... thingy."

"Demon, Ron. It's a Russian demon."

"Come on, let's go." Harry reached down to help Malfoy off the ground and then continued down the tunnel.

Several turns later, they had made it back to the lit Gringotts tunnel again and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. They were that much closer to being out of there. But his relief was short-lived when he heard Hermione let out a little gasp. He wouldn't have thought much of it if he hadn't heard the sound himself that time. And it didn't sound like anything they had heard yet that night. It wasn't just something moving, it was more of a grunt.

"Please let that be another Russian demon."

"I don't think so." Hermione's voice was uncharacteristically high.

Harry turned slowly and saw something furry and big coming out of the shadows. Its steps were dull and heavy and it sounded like there were many of them or they were moving fast. When Harry got his first look at them it took a moment for rational thought. They were about half his height, with five legs bringing it closer. Its eyes glowed yellow, but when it got near the light Harry could see that its mouth was blood red with sharp, jagged teeth protruding from it.

"Run." Harry fired a stunning spell at it, but the creature was faster than it looked and dodged it. "Run!"

They took off quickly. Harry only looked back to make sure that he hadn't lost the others. To his horror, he realized that the things could jump and there were more of them coming closer. Hermione was behind everyone else and he could hear her casting hexes over her shoulders at them.

The next sound made Harry stop so quick that Draco ran right into his back. He spun around to see Ron on the ground, the beast on him biting at his arm. Harry quickly fired a stunning spell just as Hermione did the same. The creature, not having time to dodge them, dropped immediately and Harry helped Ron off the ground. It appeared only his arm had been injured, but there was no time to look it over, as more furry things were coming closer. They kept running and didn't notice at first that they were passing the lake where the dragons had been. They could have done no different if they had noticed with the creatures chasing them, but at some point Harry did register where they were and what that meant. The dragons were no longer sleeping quietly by the lake and he yelled to the others to run faster. The dragons spewed flame through the holes, burning most of the hairy creatures. Hermione let out a scream when she felt the heat come closer, but they didn't burn her and she kept running.

Harry couldn't remember the last time he had run so fast. His chest hurt from the effort, but he didn't dare slow. Not now with the dragons awake. He came to a stop briefly when he realized that they were back in the Horntail's room, but it was empty. He looked behind him and the other three weren't far away, so he kept running eyes fixed firmly on the tunnel marked with Hermione's spell work.

The Horntail seemed to come out of nowhere, probably from above, where Harry hadn't thought to look. They were almost across the large room when it landed behind them near where it had been sleeping earlier. The first blast of fire missed them, but came too close for Harry's comfort. He had reached the tunnel, but Hermione and Ron were far enough behind he knew they wouldn't make it in time, so he stopped and used the shield charm to block the tunnel entrance. He knew he couldn't hold it forever. When they had talked about using the shield charm it was supposed to be all four of them together, but he figured he could keep it up long enough to get everyone to safety.

"Get to that first tunnel! That's where we came out of, but make sure you're around the corner or his blast will still get us! I'll hold him off until then!"

"Harry, he'll get you!"

The dragon let out another blast of fire then, but Harry's charm was holding back the flames.

"Just run!"

The other three went through his charm. Hermione let out a little "oh" and went back to long enough to remove her red mark from the wall. When Harry was sure that they were safe he started backing into the tunnel, struggling to keep the shield in place as he went. He was thirty feet from the passageway and still well within rage when the dragon blew another stream of fire toward him. The shield charm held– at first. Harry felt it giving out, but not in time to do anything about it other than begin to cover his face with his right arm. He didn't hear Hermione scream his name when the shield finally went down. He didn't hear or think or see. He could only feel the most intense burning pain of his life. He'd felt the Cruciatus curse, but this was far worse. Some part of him registered the dragon drawing back his head ready to strike again, and then the fact that he was going to die occurred to him. He closed his eyes, prepared– and partly relieved– to leave this world. But the release never came. Through watery eyes he saw two figures with wands out in front of him. Even in as much pain as he was he wanted to yell at them to go and leave him. He couldn't stand the thought of one of them getting hurt trying to save him.

"Bloody hell! Hermione, you'll have to look at him!"

"Just get him back around the corner, Ron! We'll hold off the dragon!"

Ron awkwardly picked Harry up and carried him to the safe tunnel. Harry felt like he was suffocating in the pain and heat and smoke and the movement was almost more than he could take. Ron finally laid him down and looked over his burns.

"Shit! Hermione, hurry! Hold in there, Harry."

Harry nodded, but couldn't say anything. His eyes were squeezed shut trying to block out the pain. He barely even noticed Hermione and Malfoy running toward them. She knelt down beside him and examined the burns running all the way up his right side.

"This is bad. It just about got his entire body."

"Fix him!" yelled Ron.

"I... Okay, burns..."

"Dragon burns are different," said Malfoy suddenly. He was staring down at Harry with an unreadable look. He seemed frozen in shock or fear, perhaps both. "If you use standard healing charms on it the burns may spread faster."

Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes fearful eyes. "You're right. Do you remember the charm?"

"I-I think so."

"Hurry!"

Hermione was crying now, Harry could tell that much, though he didn't notice much else besides the gnawing burning through his leg and side and arm. There were no flames, but it felt as though he were still on fire, the heat going deeper and deeper inside him. Would this finally be what killed him? At least Voldemort was denied the honor. And Ron and Hermione would carry on without him and complete the mission.

He vaguely registered Malfoy waving his wand over him, saying words that Harry didn't understand or care to know. He did feel a wonderful cooling sensation beginning in his side, where the pain had been most intense, and washing over him. It still hurt, the worst pain he had ever felt, but the burning was fading and he was breathing easier.

"Granger, conjure a damp cloth. He needs a salve, but we don't have that here. It stopped spreading, and I'm doing some basic disinfectant charms, but it needs to be cleaned properly when we get back. And some of the clothes have melted to him. That will require looking up a few more charms at the house."

"We don't really have everything we need at the house either. I'll have to go to the apothecary for ready-made potions." She handed him the cloth. "First we have to get out of here."

"I'll carry him if you two fend off anything we might come across."

"I'll carry him, he's my best friend!"

"As touching as that is, Weasley, I should carry him. If anything is wrong I'll have to know right away to fix it. Not to mention, you still have a nasty bite wound on your arm. And, as every second we argue is making things worse for your best friend I suggest that you let me have my way."

Ron nodded, but Malfoy wasn't even looking his way as he stooped over to pick Harry up. It was an awkward job, trying not to rub against the burned side, but he managed. Harry was barely still conscious and the cup rolled out of his cloak pocket.

"I'll take it," said Hermione.

Malfoy stared at the cup for a few moments and then glanced down at Harry. "I hope it was worth it. Almost getting killed for a cup that's older than Hogwarts."

Hermione looked as if she wasn't sure of that herself, but said nothing and headed back through the tunnel.

Harry was aware that he was being carried, but didn't really care who was doing the carrying. He moaned in pain when he was shifted and wished desperately that he would just pass out. He only realized who was holding him when he felt breath on his cheek and heard a quietly whispered, "Don't die on me, Potter."

And then there was only blackness.

**A/N: I need to note that both the Quintaped and the Pogrebin can be found in _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._ Neither one exists natively in London, but I brought them over just for the story! I made up parts of the Quintaped's appearance because the book wasn't thorough in describing their size or teeth.**


	11. Sleeping with the Enemy

**Chapter 11 - Sleeping with the Enemy**

Hermione, Ron and Draco had taken Harry as far as the apparition barrier and then directly to Godric's Hollow. It was daylight already. They had spent the entire night underneath Gringotts. As soon as Harry was safe in bed Hermione went back to Diagon Alley to pick up ready-made potions for his wounds. The control freak in her hated leaving him there with only Ron and Draco, but it had to be done and she was back in under a half an hour.

The next few hours were full of worry and panic. Hermione was impressed as she noticed that Draco remained calm through it all. He was quick-thinking and she could see the concern on his face and other than a few sarcastic remarks to Ron, he was completely focused on the task at hand. He was able to remove the burned and melted pieces of Harry's clothing and clean the burns thoroughly. Thankfully, Harry hadn't regained consciousness. They were pretty sure he would live, but the burns could scar badly and the pain would have been too terrible if he'd been awake. After hours of work, Draco pronounced him "as good as can be expected." Then they waited.

It was twenty-four hours later when Harry finally woke. And he wished he hadn't. In addition to the pain he felt groggy and confused, but he could make out Malfoy sitting next to his bed reading a book. When he tried to say something his throat didn't work, but it got the blond's attention.

"It's about fucking time, Potter." He jumped up at once, reached for a glass of water and carefully tipped it to Harry's mouth.

"How long?" Harry finally managed to rasp.

"A full day."

"More water."

Malfoy honored the request but then informed him that he was to start slow with the food and water so he wouldn't get sick after all the potions he would have to take.

"How bad am I?"

"Bad. Burns most of the way up your right side. Luckily, you covered most of your face and turned away, so only your neck got a little singed. You're going to have some permanent scars on your stomach, chest, and upper arm. The rest will probably fade in time."

Harry looked down and sure enough, his arm and hand were unrecognizable. The rest of his body was covered in a thin sheet.

"That's a healing salve on you now. It's specific to dragon burns. Granger got some funny looks when she asked for it in London."

"I'm sure."

"Speaking of Granger, I need to tell her that you're awake."

Draco was to the door when Harry managed to get out a quiet "thanks." He turned and it looked like he was resisting the urge to smile.

"Fewer suicide attempts in the future, Potter."

As with most dragon injuries, Harry's recovery went slow by magical standards. Draco had made it his personal duty to oversee Harry's treatment. He didn't have to be asked to bring food or bandages. He was five steps ahead of even Hermione. Even when Hermione and Ron suggested that they take turns, Draco stayed in Harry's room, ready with pain potions and food whenever Harry woke.

It was a week before Harry got out of bed and even then he had to fight Draco for permission to leave his room. The blond had, disturbingly, become a male version of Madame Pomfrey. He fussed when everyone was in Harry's room at once, saying that he needed rest to recover properly. He fussed even more when Harry refused potions based on the foul taste. When Harry finally had convinced Draco that a trip down the stairs wouldn't kill him, Draco followed behind him the whole way to make sure that he didn't get weak or trip. As annoying as it got, Harry found it sweet that Draco cared so much about his health. So sweet in fact, that Harry's dreams got even more vivid. However, every time Harry was just about to let his imagination get the better of him, Draco, in his ever present sarcasm, reminded him why they had never gotten along.

"Merlin, Potter, get back in bed and rest," Harry remembered Draco saying. "It's not as if I want to play nursemaid forever. If you didn't have to be such a fucking hero I could be quietly reading my book, but no, Harry Potter has to save the fucking world and nearly get himself killed in the process. Isn't it enough that I have to take orders from Granger, but I have to nurse you back to health too?"

Harry was too tired to argue with that. The sarcasm was there, as usual, but there was something else. Normally, he was very casual with his quips and barbs, but now it seemed a little forced. Maybe, Harry thought and hoped, he was really concerned and trying to hide it.

Hermione had been watching the Daily Prophet carefully for any indication that the Goblins knew there had been an intruder, but there was nothing. Voldemort had done a good job hiding his treasure and even the mess they had made wasn't enough to undo his work. She did, however, discover the name of the creatures that attacked them, starting the chase that woke the dragons. Quintapeds, which were supposed to only exist on the island of... Harry didn't really care to know what they were. He just smiled and nodded most of the time.

It was well into December before Harry was able to resume any sort of normal routine. Even then, every time he yawned or sighed Draco had him taking a nap. It wasn't productive for their research, but he had learned not to argue. Especially once Hermione started taking Draco's side.

There were plus sides to having Draco as his personal nurse. They were always together and talked for hours while Ron and Hermione were busy being a couple. Harry had become so comfortable with the blond that he hardly could believe that this was the same boy who he had hated for so long. He was still an infuriating shit, but Harry was getting to see another side of him now and he liked it.

"So you and Pansy were never really together?"

They were sitting on Harry's bed chatting late into the night, as they had been doing recently. Harry had raided the jar of Christmas cookies that Hermione baked and Draco had brought two glasses of milk and they were quickly reducing the cookies to lone crumbs on the plate.

"Nope. She was my date for the Yule Ball, but that was out of necessity only."

"Does that mean you never had a girlfriend?"

"Does that shock you?"

"Well... yeah, I guess. I mean, you're popular, rich... good-looking. It can't be that hard to find a date."

"Are you hitting on me, Potter?"

Harry blushed tremendously and turned away. "I'm just saying..." he trailed off mumbling.

Draco laughed. "Relax, I'm kidding. Pansy and I were never really a couple in the typical sense, but she was the closest I had to a girlfriend."

"Oh. Fuck buddies."

Draco made a face. "You have all the subtlety of an angry hippogriff, Potter."

"Sorry."

"But, to answer you, we never fucked, so your term would be inaccurate. She was the closest I had to a girlfriend because she fawned all over me and everyone believed us to be dating. And I let them believe it. But the thought of fucking her makes me sick to my stomach. "

"So you're a..."

"...Virgin? Yes. Again that subtle nature."

"Sorry." Harry thought about dropping the subject completely, but curiosity got the better of him. "Why didn't you? I know that's too nosey. You can tell me to shut up."

"It's a valid question though. Most people our age want to and I certainly had a willing participant. I think..." Draco took several moments to consider something silently. "Well basically I just don't like girls."

It was out. The sentence just hung in the air, neither of them knowing what to do with it. Draco peeked a glance at Harry for his reaction, but Harry was blank. His heart began to race. Had Draco just given him hope? Could Draco be attracted to him too? Finally Harry found his voice.

"You're gay?"

"I certainly hope so, otherwise my attraction to boys would be a little odd."

"You never, um, acted on it?"

"Being gay doesn't produce an heir for the Malfoy name, so I never really had the option."

"But it's not just an option! It's who you are. You can't just switch it off."

Draco was smirking at him.

"You seem to feel strongly about it."

"Well..."

"It's okay, you don't have to answer that. Let's just say that the news wouldn't have made my father very happy, so I didn't tell him and didn't explore it. I always just assumed that I would someday marry a woman– probably Pansy or someone Father picked out– and have a family. Provided I didn't kill myself from the mere thought of it."

"So you were planning on just hiding it forever? Living a lie?"

"I don't know. I love my father, but he's very old fashioned. He would have never understood. Sometimes I pictured how I would tell him, but it always ended with my parents hating me and being disowned."

"They would have done that?"

"Maybe. More likely him than Mother. I always wanted to make him proud, so I put off deciding what to do about the whole thing."

Harry thought his heart would beat right out of his chest. All the questions he'd been asking himself for months had answers, and they were right there in front of him. But how should he proceed? Should he ask him? Should he wait for Draco to ask? Should he grab him and snog him senseless right there on the bed? Of course, with half of his body burned, Harry figured that the scenario would have ended with extreme pain. But he had to do something. Before he could decide, Draco spoke again.

"I don't suppose it really matters now. After everything that's happened I'll be lucky to survive the war. And even if I do, I'll have a fun time getting anyone to look at anything other than the Dark Mark."

"Maybe it will be different."

"Yeah, and maybe I'll grow tits and join the Weird Sisters."

The opportunity had passed. Harry let the conversation veer back to Quidditch and school. They talked well into the night and Harry didn't really remember them even saying good-night. He awoke the next morning, laying on his good side. He didn't need to open his eyes to know that something was off. The blankets were half off him, but there was an unusual warmth. It felt so nice that he didn't want to get up and end it, but his bladder was telling him that it was time. Slowly one eye crept open, then the other. In his sleepy haze it took several seconds to process what he saw.

_Blond... Blond hair on my pillow... Blond...DRACO!_

Harry's eyes popped open wide and he sat up quickly before remembering that he was still very seriously injured and letting out a howl of pain. This woke Draco who sat up immediately and looked around for his wand out of reflex.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Harry's eyes were squeezed shut in a silent battle with the pain on his right side. When he opened them again he could see the concern in Draco's face. He hadn't seemed to realize yet where he had spent the night.

"Merlin, are you okay, Harry?"

Harry couldn't remember him ever using his given name, even during the worst days right after his injury. It was always "don't die, Potter," or "Potter, you're going to be the death of me– if you're not the death of you first." But now he said Harry.

"I just got up too fast is all. It fucking hurts, but I'll make it."

"Merlin, you scared the fuck out of me."

Harry winced as he leaned back against the headboard. "Here's something that will scare you more. Where did you wake up just now?"

"I..." Harry almost laughed when he saw Draco's eyebrows shoot up as realization dawned. "Oh, fuck."

"Yeah, surprised me too."

"Is that why you hurt yourself just now? That's dumb, even for you."

"Whatever. You're not the one who woke up next to a Slytherin. I'm lucky my heart didn't give out."

"You're going to wake up Weasley and Granger if you're not careful."

"I'm sure that would be lovely, explaining to them why you're in here. Especially when I'm not really sure myself."

"Er... We fell asleep talking I guess."

"Yeah, but you know how this looks." Well, at least Harry could now say that he had slept with Draco. Of course Ron and Hermione wouldn't understand. Even if they knew it was only sleeping that had gone on. Hermione may have become more accepting of Draco, but Ron still looked at him like he was the enemy.

"Yeah... I didn't mean to..."

"I know."

Awkward. That's the one thing that came to mind. This was going to be very awkward. Harry knew that Draco didn't mean to sleep in there, especially after their conversation about him being gay. But Harry knew that Draco was going to act weird because of it and Harry was going to act weird because he had his own secret. Just when they were really getting along, now they would probably avoid each other and try to act like everything was normal when they were forced to be in the same room.

Breakfast was a little too quiet. He didn't look at Draco once and nearly everything that Hermione said went completely over his head. Afterwards Harry went to the library to read and Ron stayed with him. Hermione was in and out all morning and finally brought lunch in around one o'clock. There was still no sign of Draco.

"Has Malfoy gone missing or what?"

"What?"

"He's been avoiding me– er, us all day, hasn't he?"

"Harry, he's hardly been avoiding you. He's been glued to your bedside for weeks."

"But he hasn't been around today."

"He's brewing more potions for you. Hasn't he told you about the lab? After your injury I went to Diagon Alley for potions. Ready-made ones of course. But Malfoy thought that we should brew our own after that, so there would be less chance of being seen. So I got the supplies and he set up a lab in the cellar. I must say, he did a good job with it."

"So he's been doing this when?"

"Well, we've been taking turns, but whenever you take your naps he usually goes down to check on them. He's very dedicated. You usually see him around this time of the day, but today one of the potions reached a critical point and he has to stay with it for a couple more hours. I was just down there and it's the perfect color and consistency. Probably better than anything I could have picked up in London. Those ready-made potions are sometimes a bit off, not as fresh."

Harry barely picked up half of her babbling. What was important was that Draco wasn't avoiding him. It was all the potion's fault! If Ron and Hermione wondered why he wore a stupid smile most of the afternoon, they never said anything. And Harry didn't have it in him to tell them that he had a crush on Draco Malfoy.


	12. Christmas Presents and Thank You's

**Chapter 12 - Christmas Presents and Thank You's**

"I smell food. Do you smell that?"

"You always smell food, Ronald."

Harry smiled. Things never changed. They would always bicker the way they had since first year.

London was covered in snow and smelling quite like Christmas, with the aromas of fresh baked goods floating out of the shops. Harry was very excited about their shopping trip. Since joining the wizarding world, he had mostly shopped at Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. He didn't really feel that the shops near Grimmauld Place or in Godric's Hollow counted, as they were just your average grocery stores that they needed to survive. This trip was to larger shopping centers, filled with clothes, electronics and novelty gifts that muggles wasted their money on. When Hermione suggested they reward themselves with a day out for some Christmas shopping, all three boys had been on their best behavior so that she wouldn't change her mind. Ron was just thrilled to be venturing in to muggle London. Draco was ecstatic to leave the house at all. Harry just wanted to pretend to be normal for a day. They would be going places where no one would recognize him, and hopefully Draco would be distracted enough by shopping that he would forget to baby him.

Of course Harry realized it was too much to hope for when Draco, as usual, had fussed about his going in the first place. After all, it had only been a month since Harry's last near-death experience and most of the injuries weren't fully healed. The scars were nearly gone on his neck and hands, but the ones further up his arm and leg were still quite sore. Reluctantly, Draco had finally agreed that some exercise would be good for them all– but only if they didn't stay long and took frequent breaks for Harry to sit down. Harry secretly believed that the thought of shopping was what really made Draco give in. Unfortunately, once they began their shopping extravaganza, they had forgotten all about stopping, until Ron's declaration about food late in the afternoon made them all realize that they hadn't eaten since breakfast.

They stopped at a fast food place where Draco ordered Harry to stay seated while he ran to get everything for them. Harry called Draco "Mum" a few times, which resulted in a couple mild fights. Ron and Hermione remained silent during most of it, each secretly wondering what in the name of Merlin was going on.

After eating, both Ron and Draco excused themselves to the bathroom, leaving Harry and Hermione alone to talk.

"So what did you buy for Ron?" asked Harry.

"I ordered a wireless from a wizard magazine. He's complained for months about not being able to listen to the Quidditch matches. You?"

"Some Chudly Canons official merchandise. And that book about the team they printed last year. He's been hinting toward it. I want to find something for Draco too. I don't want him to feel left out."

Hermione bit her lip in a very Hermione sort of way and glanced away from Harry, unsure of whether she should say what was on her mind.

"Harry, what's going on with you and Malfoy?"

Harry froze. It was a good question.

_Well Hermione, we talk about Quidditch, joke about school and at night I have dreams about sucking his cock._

No, that wouldn't do at all.

_Ever since he fell asleep in my bed, I've wanted to rip his clothes off whenever he's in the same room._

He didn't figure she would appreciate that answer either. He opted for feigning innocence.

"What do you mean?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You two hated each other for six years and somehow in the last few months you've become best friends. Ron and I are afraid you're starting to get too attached." He snorted in amusement. "What if he's still loyal to Voldemort? It's dangerous and you'll just get hurt."

Harry wouldn't look her in the face, but she could tell from his rigid posture that he didn't want to talk about this.

"He's not still loyal to him. And he's not my best friend. You and Ron still are, but you've been... well I need someone to talk to while you two are off snogging."

"We have been a little neglectful, haven't we?" she looked down at her hands in her lap. "Oh, I'm sorry, Harry. We've forced you into being friends with Malfoy." She managed a smile at the end, but Harry could tell she was feeling very guilty and he took her hand and smiled back.

"No you haven't. He's not so bad. When you strip away the arrogance and pure-blood power trip, he's really not so bad. He's changed. You can't go through what he's been through in the last year and a half without changing. And he did help save me. Besides that, we have a lot in common."

"You must see how it looks to Ron and me though. Suddenly you're spending all your time together. He's acting like a mother hen when you're sick. It's obvious you're getting close... You haven't told him anything have you?"

"No," snapped Harry. The stony face had returned.

"Don't be upset. I'm just looking out for you. What if this is an act and he's just using you?"

"He's not once asked me for any information and I haven't told him any more than we've all agreed to. This subject is closed now."

Before Hermione could answer, he was standing and making his way to the exit. He avoided her for the rest of the afternoon, sticking instead to Malfoy and Ron, who desperately wanted help picking out Hermione's present. Despite Harry's efforts, Malfoy kept wandering off on his own to look at things. Harry could tell that something was bothering him, but then why wouldn't it? It was Christmas and Draco was without his family or a way to see them.

"What are you looking at?" asked Harry

He had been nearly impossible to keep track of once they got inside the clothing store. He started with the shoes and then trousers and when Harry found him he was stopped in the accessories looking at a black scarf.

"Nothing," he replied, setting the item back down.

"It looks nice."

Draco rolled his eyes and began to walk back toward the front of the store. "As if you know anything about style, Potter. Granger picked out everything that both of us are wearing."

"No, I don't. But I still have an opinion and I think that scarf was nice."

"It was okay."

"What's wrong?"

"I hate Christmas."

"I would think you, of all people would enjoy getting tons of gifts."

"I like shopping more. Mother and Father were never good at picking out what I wanted. Mother knew it though. They got me loads of stuff, but Mother would always give me a bag of galleons when Father wasn't looking so I could go buy whatever I wanted. The best part of Christmas was always after the presents were opened. I suppose I was an ungrateful brat for not liking what they gave me."

"No. Nobody wants to get something that they don't like and will never use."

Draco nodded and continued walking. Harry thought for a moment and stayed behind. He had one more gift to get.

Everyone slept in on Christmas morning. Of course "slept" may not be accurate for everyone. Draco slept. Harry was awoken at seven by Ron and Hermione _not_ sleeping on the other side of the wall. And they were usually so good about remembering silencing charms. Eventually, he got up and cooked breakfast, for which everyone was most appreciative. They ended up taking breakfast in the living room and Ron started handing out presents while they ate.

Hermione loved the earrings that Harry had helped Ron pick out. She had, predictably, given Harry a book. It was some sort of muggle self-help book that he probably wouldn't read, but that was typical from Hermione.

"Malfoy, here's one for you," said Hermione. Harry thought he knew what it was until he saw the neatly wrapped red package. He shot a look at Hermione who merely raised an eyebrow at him and handed Draco the gift.

"Something for me?"

"From Ron and me." Ron grunted a little in disapproval at that. "Okay, mostly from me, but Ron was standing there when I picked it out."

Draco took the package, obviously still surprised and a little confused. Harry was feeling a little confused himself. Hermione had been so suspicious of him when he suggested getting Draco a present, but she had gone and done the same thing.

Draco removed the red paper and Harry could see the binding of a leather journal with gold lettering on the front.

"You didn't have to do this..."

"We may have not always been the best of friends, but you're one of us now. And it's Christmas. I didn't know what you would like, so I just figured that you'd appreciate a place to separate your thoughts, no matter whether it's personal or research."

"It even has my initials. Thank you."

Hermione nodded and turned her attention back to the presents. A few minutes later Ron found the other box for Draco.

"Here, Malfoy. From Harry."

Draco looked up at him and they locked eyes briefly as he opened it. When he saw the black scarf he froze. Harry got a nervous feeling in his stomach waiting for Draco's reaction. He hadn't considered before that Draco may feel like it was charity.

"Harry, I..."

It wasn't lost on Harry that Draco had used his given name for only the second time.

"I don't know what to say."

"I hope you're not mad. I could tell that you liked it. And well, I know it isn't a bag of galleons, but I wasn't sure what else to get."

"No, it's perfect." Draco looked him straight in the eyes then. "Thank you. This means a lot."

Harry nodded and tried desperately to stop the blush he could feel creeping over his face. Thankfully everyone was distracted by the Christmas owl arriving from Remus and Tonks. It said simply that they wouldn't be at the Weasley's for supper, and wished all _four _of them a Happy Christmas, with a tin of cookies.

"It is their first Christmas as a couple. I imagine they wanted to be alone."

"What, they didn't want to gross everyone out by snogging in public the way you two do?"

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"Well," Hermione sighed. "I think it's about time to get ready for dinner at the Burrow. Don't want to be late."

"I do," Ron grumbled. "Mum will be fussing and trying to guilt us into staying there."

"And then there's the matter of hiding my burned hand." Although Harry had been feeling much better with the help of daily pain potions, his hand and arm were still obvious to anyone who got close enough.

"How are you going to manage that?" asked Draco

"I'll just keep it under the table when we're eating. And my sleeves are a little long so that will cover most of it."

"You're right-handed. How are you going to eat?"

"With my left hand."

"Yeah, that worked really well for you yesterday. Except that you got more food in your lap than in your mouth."

"Will you just fucking leave him alone, Malfoy?"

"I'm just being realistic. He's going to have to be very careful."

"So I won't eat a whole lot. It's doable. If I don't go at all then Mrs. Weasley will have a fit and think I'm dead or something."

"Fine, I'm just going to say 'I told you so' in advance."

As predicted, Mrs. Weasley fussed over them as soon as they arrived. Fortunately for them, dinner was ready and sitting on the table so she didn't have time to properly interrogate them, although Harry was sure that she would find a way.

The entire Weasley family was gathered, except Percy. Charlie had even made it in from Romania. Bill and Fleur had come from their new home in London and the twins brought plenty of new pranks from the shop to show off. Business had been slow since the Hogwarts attack, but they kept going. They all sat down to dinner with strict warnings from Mrs. Weasley that Fred and George were not to use any of their inventions at the table.

Draco was right that it was much more difficult than Harry had thought. So far no one had questioned the left-handed eating and all was well. To be honest, Harry wasn't even thinking about it anymore. He was, however, thinking of Draco spending the holiday alone back at Godric's Hollow. The only thing that did bring him out of his thoughts was Ginny's account of the Halloween attack.

"It was horrible. Dean and I had just gotten back to the common room when it happened. Colin had been trying to get us to pose for pictures in the Great Hall. When we turned him down he found someone else. If we had stopped we might have been with him when Greyback got him."

"They confirmed that it was Grayback?" asked Harry.

Mr. Weasley nodded. "It seems that Colin was his only victim. We still didn't get a complete list of who all was there. We confirmed Pettigrew because students remembered seeing the silver hand. They don't think that Snape or the Malfoy boy were there though. Someone would have likely recognized them if they had been. A couple others were identified by aurors. Basically, everything just moved too quickly to get confirmation and no one was arrested. It was planned out too well and they had the element of surprise."

"We sent an owl to Dennis Creevy, since we couldn't go to the funeral," said Hermione. "They were so close. I can't imagine how he's feeling right now."

"He was pretty shaken up when we got the news," Ginny answered. "A bunch of us were staying up late after the feast and we heard noises and people trying to get in. I almost went out the portrait hole to see what was going on, but then the fat lady... well she left her frame and actually came in the common room to warn us. It's the only time I've ever seen her inside. She didn't know about Colin yet, but we woke everyone up in case we had to run or fight. Professor Vector came to tell us what was going on and made sure no one left. Later, McGonagall came and told Vector what happened and she took Dennis to tell him privately. Vector told the rest of us about Colin, Jimmy and the others."

"Enough of this talk," said Mrs. Weasley quietly. "It's Christmas and we don't need to dwell on these things. Have you kids been eating enough? You all look too thin."

"We're fine, Mum," said Ron.

"Still, I don't like it. You're taking some food with you when you leave. I can't have the three of you starving. I might not be able to control whatever else you're doing, but I can make you eat."

"Don't worry about us, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. "Ron's right, we're fine."

"Don't you give me that, Harry. If I had to guess I'd say _you've_ been unwell. You look the worst of the lot. "

Fleur giggled a little at that. Harry looked over to see that Hermione and Ginny also found it somewhat amusing.

"Yes, Harry, you just look awful," joked Fred.

"Dreadful," George agreed.

"Oh hush! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry, Harry, dear, but you are very pale. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm just fine. But thank you for looking out for me."

After dinner the whole family settled in to open presents. Harry was on the sofa with Ron on his left and Charlie on his right. They fell into conversation about Quidditch teams while Fleur snapped pictures so that her and Bill's first Christmas as a married couple would be properly documented. Ron began gesturing wildly with his hands to explain a particularly exciting play and Harry had to dodge him. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to keep his hand covered.

"Harry, what on earth did you do to your hand?"

He looked around quickly to make sure no one else had heard Charlie. Ron had gone silent, his story forgotten. Harry kept his voice low as he answered Charlie.

"Please don't say anything. They don't need to know."

Charlie glanced to the rest of the room, but no one was paying attention to them.

"Harry this looks bad," he whispered. "When did this happen?"

"A month ago."

"A month? But this looks..." Charlie took Harry's hand, glanced up cautiously and turned in his seat so that his back would shield the view from most of the room. He pulled up Harry's sleeve and looked back to Harry in shock. "This is... a dragon burn."

Harry nodded.

"But how...?"

"I can't tell you. But I'm fine. It's healing nicely."

"Ron, are you...?"

"I'm fine. Just a couple of bruises and a nasty bite from a thankfully non-poisonous hairy monster. But if it hadn't been for Hermione and– uh a-and her books Harry might'a been worse off than this."

Harry had to roll his eyes at Ron's almost slip of Draco's name.

"Is it just your arm?"

"And leg. And my hip and stomach. Well, mostly my whole right side. I blocked most of my face with my arm, so it's not noticeable there. It's doing loads better. The first couple days I could hardly move."

"That's why it's illegal to keep dragons. There's only two known curses that can burn worse than them. You should have contacted me. I've treated dozens of these."

"Hermione's become a regular healer. She's been teaching herself all about healing charms."

"Well, looking at this, I'd say she did a good job. You have to act fast with dragon burns. You owe her your life for her quick thinking."

Charlie, thankfully, agreed to keep their secret and let the subject drop after that. Ron pulled the conversation back to Quidditch, but Harry's thoughts kept wandering back to the blond celebrating Christmas alone. Without his parents for the first time. Without friends. Harry felt almost guilty for being in a room full of people who loved him. He should be back home keeping Draco company. Although Hermione was given all the credit, Draco was the one Harry truly owed his life to. Not only had he saved him that night, but he nursed him back to health, brewed potions for him and went out of his way to keep Harry company when he wasn't supposed to leave bed. Hermione was right that they had gotten very close. Harry thought about Draco often. Not just when he had the vivid dreams, but throughout the day, whenever he wasn't around.

"Knut for your thoughts."

Without Harry realizing it, Ron and Charlie had both left and Ginny had just plopped down in Ron's place.

"My thoughts?" He laughed morbidly. "Not for all of Gringotts."

"You're awfully full of yourself, thinking your thoughts are worth so much. What's wrong? Besides Mum insulting your looks at dinner."

"I have a lot on my mind is all."

Ginny just nodded. "I'm joining the Order."

"What? When?"

"Soon. Mum isn't happy about it, but now with the school closed indefinitely and the rest of the family either in the Order or risking their necks in other ways," she gave him a small smile at that, "I may as well be out trying to stop this. They decided last week that the sixth and seventh years that are still underage could join, but we're only to be assigned the less dangerous jobs. We're not supposed to go into battle."

"You shouldn't. It's dangerous."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I do know how to take care of myself."

"Yes, I remember."

"I'll be in charge of informing everyone of the meetings and helping with security at the new headquarters."

Harry nodded and they fell into an awkward silence.

"Erm... So you and Dean are still together."

"Does that bother you?"

"No. Just making conversation."

She cocked her head to the side, studying him for a moment. "You're over me aren't you? I thought you might be. This summer it was just more of a 'I want you to be happy' thing, but now you are really over it."

"Ginny..."

"It's okay, Harry. I want you to be over me. Because, you see, I'm over you. For the first time since I met you. What we had was wonderful, but I don't think it was meant to be."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I think it's better this way than if you had strung me along. We might have broke up on bad terms then. I like that we don't hate each other."

"Thank you for saying that, Gin."

She reached over and hugged him tightly.

"I'll always love you, Harry Potter. Even if it is only as my brother's best friend."

"I'll love you too. Always."

* * *

"Come in," Draco called in response to the knock.

Harry opened the door. Draco was seated at his writing desk facing out into the front lawn. It was well past dark when the trio finally returned to Godric's Hollow.

"We're back. I think Mrs. Weasley would have put us under the Imperius to keep us there if Mr. Weasley hadn't stopped her."

"Weasley and Granger will have gone off to shag like rabbits now, I assume."

Harry nodded.

"How are you feeling? Did you have to take any of that Pepper-Up potion?"

"No." Harry smiled. "You can go ahead and say it though. You deserve it."

"Say what?"

"'I told you so.' Charlie noticed my hand. He won't tell though."

"You're lucky he's the only one."

"It was close. Ron's mum said I looked unwell, but we covered."

"You do look dreadful, you know, Potter. I'm surprised she didn't take you to St. Mungo's the second she saw you."

"Why does everyone insist on telling me how bad I look today? Christmas is supposed to be the season of kindness!"

"Quit complaining; everyone is nice to you the rest of the year. You almost didn't make this Christmas. You're lucky."

"I'm lucky you remembered the spell to stop the burn." Harry took a deep breath. "I'm lucky to have you."

Draco looked rather surprised and Harry thought he could see a faint blush.

"I never really thanked you for what you did."

"It's not as if I'd let you die. Who would believe me then?" He tried to sound practical about it, but failed. "I'd be shipped off to Azkaban without question. So it's selfish really."

"Maybe. But looking after me day and night and bringing me meals wasn't selfish."

Draco swallowed hard and licked his lips. Harry was moving closer with each word.

"So thank you."

"Potter, we're not going to have some sappy moment now where I suddenly confess to being your biggest fan, because it's not true. I still think you're a complete tosser and you still think I'm an arrogant git."

Harry nodded. "Yes, you are. But I'm sorry you had to spend Christmas alone."

"Better that than with the tribe of redheads."

Harry laughed. "There's leftover food downstairs if you want it."

"I'm fine." Draco closed his book and stood. "It's about time to be getting to bed anyway."

Harry hadn't moved. He was standing just in front of Draco's path, watching every move he made. He decided that it was now or never.

"Potter, you're going to have to move."

Draco was quite right; he did have to move. He reached out and took the blond head in his hands and kissed. Draco was frozen in shock for a moment, but then he began to kiss back. His lips parted and Harry eased his tongue in, exploring the taste of Draco.

When the kiss ended, Harry slowly opened his eyes to see Draco's look of complete confusion and shock, and maybe just a little fear.

"That's more than enough of a thank you, you know."

"That wasn't a thank you," answered Harry. "That was me doing what I've wanted to do for a while now. I'm sorry. I know you didn't give me any reason to think that you liked me like that. I'll just go."

"No!" Draco said at once. "I mean... Are you sure you weren't just testing to see if you really do like guys?"

Harry frowned a little. "No, I've known that for a while. But I've also known that I liked you for a while too. Before you told me you were gay."

Draco nodded. "Good. That's all I really wanted to know."

For a moment Harry thought that was going to be it, but then Draco pulled him into a rough kiss. Harry had one last moment of surprise before all coherent thoughts were gone. He was too consumed with touching, feeling, tasting to think at all. He didn't know if they were going too far, if they were ready for any of this. But he didn't care. Draco just felt too good to stop.

Draco's hands worked down Harry's thin body and squeezed his ass through his jeans, bringing them closer together. Harry let out a moan against Draco's mouth. He was getting more and

more aroused by the second and he couldn't remember getting that hard that fast with Ginny.

Draco's mouth was on his face, his neck, back to his lips. Harry nearly whimpered when Draco stopped kissing and stepped back, but then the blond looked at him with those lust-filled eyes and Harry thought his knees would give out.

Harry grew suddenly bold and reached out to slip Draco's robes off his shoulders, longing to see the pale flesh beneath. He was only a little nervous. The only person he'd done anything with was Ginny and he realized that he didn't really know what to do with a boy. It didn't matter though because he just wanted to do _something_.

Draco had gotten used to muggle clothes, so he only wore his robes out of habit over a black t-shirt and jeans, much the way Harry and Ron had been. Once the robe hit the floor Harry pulled Draco to him for another kiss. This time it was Harry that continued down the blond's neck and collar bone. His hands wandered down over Draco's chest and stomach, finally reaching where his shirt was tucked into the waist of the black jeans. He pulled the fabric loose and his hands moved underneath it to touch that warm skin. Draco gasped at that and pulled Harry even closer to himself. They were pressed firmly against one another and Harry realized that Draco was just as hard as he was.

All thoughts of nervousness gone, Harry was working out of instinct only, and reached down to cup Draco's package. It seemed the most natural thing in the world for him to want to kiss and touch and undress another boy. The trousers had to come off. Come to think of it, the shirt did too. And Harry thought they would probably be more comfortable on the bed. So he began moving them, as they kissed, toward Draco's bed.

As soon as they landed on the mattress Harry unzipped Draco's trousers and reached inside them, gasping when he realized that the blond wasn't wearing any underpants. Draco smirked at his reaction and reached to Harry's trousers, unfastening them as well. As if he knew exactly what he was doing, he reached into them and past his underpants, grabbing hold of Harry and stroking ever so gently at first and then harder and faster. Harry, almost lost in the feeling of it, remembered what he was doing and copied Draco's movements, eventually bringing each other to satisfaction.

But it wouldn't be the only time that night.

Harry woke with a start the next day, realizing at once that he wasn't in his own room. That same warmth from just a week ago was back. This time he smiled, remembering why he was naked under the covers. He opened his eyes and just stared at Draco. As if the blond knew he was being watched, he woke suddenly and smiled back when he saw Harry watching him.

"What are you looking at, Potter?"

"Just seeing if it was a dream, but we're both still here."

"You know," said Draco softly. "Despite everything, I think this was one of the best Christmases ever."


	13. Secrets and Close Calls

**Chapter 13 - Secrets and Close Calls**

The weeks after Christmas were bliss. There was little Death Eater activity. They were making great progress on research and training. And, oh yeah, Harry was getting shagged regularly! Not that Ron and Hermione knew anything about that. They figured Harry was just happy to be recovering from the incident in Gringotts and tried not to ask too many questions about where he spent his afternoons.

Harry didn't usually like keeping secrets from his friends, but this was a special exception. This was something that was completely his and he knew that they wouldn't understand. He and Draco were meeting between meals, in the garage, in the library when Hermione left, anywhere they could think of. In fact, the only time the two boys were separated was when Draco checked on his potions and Harry was discussing Horcruxes with Hermione and Ron. Harry was rather enjoying being a normal hormonal teenager for a while and the secrecy added to the excitement of it all. He had to hold back a smile during meals when Draco looked across the table at him _in that way._ And he had to be very careful not to let his face give anything away when Draco slid his foot up Harry's leg and thigh. Once Ron had even asked if he wasn't feeling well when Harry was so caught up in under the table activities that he had forgotten to keep the look on his face neutral. Draco used that as the perfect window of opportunity to insist that Harry go down to the potions lab so they could determine if he was having a reaction to the new pain potion.

Now, it was true that Harry had switched to a less intense potion as the burns healed, but that had been a week ago and he certainly didn't have any problems with it.

"So how do we tell if I've had a reaction?" asked Harry when they were alone.

"Well, first I have to check you over for a rash."

Harry looked down at his arms and smirked back up at Draco. "I don't see a rash."

"Yes, well they can be very tricky. They're usually only in places that your clothes cover."

"So I should take them off?"

"I think that would be best."

Harry tried not to giggle in excitement at the thought of "playing doctor" with Draco. They hadn't had sex in the potions lab yet. He pulled his t-shirt off over his head first, letting Draco look him over. The blond ran a hand over Harry's unscarred arm and then across his chest. He bent then, bringing his lips to Harry's neck, kissing and biting while his hands traveled to the button on Harry's trousers.

"I don't see anything here..."

"We have to make it fast. She'll come looking for us."

Draco must have taken his words quite literally because Harry suddenly found himself being spun around and bent over the work table.

"I'm going to fuck you so hard you scream, Potter," Draco growled in his ear.

Harry nearly moaned at the hot breath on his neck and the words he knew the blond would make good on.

"You may want to remember a silencing charm then," he managed.

Draco cast the charm and quickly pulled Harry's jeans down to his ankles. Then he went to work on his own trousers. He didn't even bother taking the rest of his clothes off as he prepared Harry, knowing that Granger or Weasley could walk in on them at any time.

"Just fucking do it, Draco!"

"Do what? This?" Draco asked, sliding a finger inside him.

Harry groaned at the contact, but it wasn't enough and Draco knew he was an evil tease. Just the thought that someone could walk in on them at any time excited him and he didn't want to wait for foreplay. "Fuck me, now!"

Draco complied, shaking the whole table with the force of his thrusts. Harry was gripping the edge of it, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of Draco inside him. It was still so new to him, but it felt so right that he could hardly believe that it had only been three weeks since he had first kissed another boy. How quickly a kiss and a wank turned into what they were doing now! There were moments, through all of this, that Harry wondered if they had been moving too fast. But then he didn't care because everything that Draco did to him felt so good. Even when it hurt, he only wanted more and more.

Harry's knuckles turned white gripping the table when he came, screaming, just as Draco had promised. They stayed like that for a few moments, waiting for their breathing to return to normal and finally Draco pulled out of him and leaned against the table in his sudden dizziness.

"I have determined that you are not, at this time, having an allergic reaction. However, I think it would be wise to repeat this examination once per day, just to be certain."

"We better get back up there before Hermione comes here looking for us." Harry laughed, picturing the look on his friend's face if she had walked in while they were still flushed and half naked.

Draco stood up and began to pull on his pants. "Seriously though, that potion isn't bothering you?"

He had still been acting a bit Madame Pomfrey-ish and Harry sighed in frustration.

"Stop. We've been through this. I will let you know if something is wrong. I'm almost completely better now."

Draco frowned, staring at Harry's burns. "I think we've been too rough. Can't expect the scaring to go away if we keep agitating it every couple hours."

"I like agitating it every couple hours," Harry smirked. "Besides, what's the point of surviving if I can't really live? I've had some close calls before, I've even been completely certain that I was going to die. But down there was different. When I woke up I knew that one of these days, I'm not going to be so lucky. I knew then that I'm not wasting any more time not getting what I want. Why do you think I kissed you to begin with?"

"You were really horny?"

"Well, that, and I realized it would be stupid to miss out on something I wanted because I was too afraid to go get it. Especially when my life expectancy is much lower than that of the average wizard. I'm not afraid of death. But I don't want to die without having experienced as much as I could. And I won't let such a small amount of discomfort or scarring get in my way."

"Bloody Gryffindors." Draco continued grumbling as he cleaned up the mess they had made, but Harry knew he had gotten his point across.

Hermione had been giving Harry her highly suspicious look when they emerged from the cellar, but she didn't say anything. In fact, she kept very quiet all afternoon while they researched jinxes for their next training session. It wasn't until an owl arrived from Remus that she finally broke her silence.

"So how's that work with Remus coming along?" asked Hermione.

"Great. He's still asking about the reason I was laid up before Christmas, but I've been changing the subject. I asked him what he thought would be most helpful to do next and he thinks I should try Occlumency again."

Hermione must have heard the bitterness in his voice. "You know, you really should learn it. Just because Voldemort hasn't been using your connection to his advantage doesn't mean that he won't again. Especially if he knows you're onto him."

"It's easier said than done. And Remus even acknowledged that it would difficult to learn when we go so long between lessons. Not to mention that he isn't as good at it as my last teacher."

"Occlumency isn't that hard," said Malfoy. "You just have to learn to disregard your feelings on the situation. Let go of it all so that you're mind can be empty."

"And that's exactly what I had problems with. That and I think that the connection between us makes it harder to block him."

"What connection?" asked Draco.

Harry pointed to his scar. "This. When he tried to kill me and the curse bounced off, it created this link between us. It's why I can talk to snakes. Voldemort can use this link to see what I'm thinking and put thoughts there. He doesn't even have to be in the same room as one would normally be to use Legilimency."

Draco's brow creased in thought. "So with all the security you've used here in this house you've failed to protect yourself against the way you and he both know can be your downfall?"

"That's why Hermione takes care of the security wards. And the house is unplottable."

"But you know enough about it that it would be disastrous if he invaded your mind. And what about whatever the reason was you needed that cup from Gringotts? Am I right in thinking that if he knew about that little adventure you're whole plan would be ruined?"

"Yes, but he hasn't tried anything since fifth year. It's just as dangerous for him if I ever learned to use the link the other way. So he has been actively blocking me."

"Like Granger just said, just because he hasn't doesn't mean he won't. Eventually, you're going to have to face him, and when that happens, he may use this weakness against you."

Hermione stared at Draco for several moments, not quite believing that he had actually just agreed with her.

"I'm going to try. But Remus isn't an expert in it and we can't meet all that often."

"Well, you see me every day, and as it happens, I am a proficient Occlumens."

"Can you use legilimency so I can practice blocking it?"

"Once you know Occlumency it's not very hard. Besides, I don't have to be good at it to teach you to close your mind. It's mostly up to you. I'll make you a deal. Seeing as you've all been able to communicate with your Patronus for a while now, if you teach me how to make a Patronus, I'll teach you Occlumency."

"I suppose we can try."

"Let's start now."

Harry grinned and nodded. Draco didn't even bother clearing his plate from the table and went straight to the library.

"Harry, are you sure that's wise?"

"What if the ferret tries to find out everything we're doing?"

Harry shook his head sadly. "He saved my life and you two still don't trust him?"

Ron and Hermione watched him leave the room in a huff.

"What the bloody hell is going on with him and Malfoy anyway?"

"I don't know. But he's right. Malfoy's had his wand since November and he helped save Harry's life. Maybe we should show that we trust him."

"I don't like it and I don't like him. And I _really_ don't like Harry spending all his time with the ferret."

"We can't very well forbid it. We just have to trust that Harry knows what he's doing– even if we don't like it."

"Harry, you really have to concentrate."

They had been trying for over an hour. Draco was a better teacher than Snape. Rather than just "One, two, three, block me!" he actually helped Harry relax and provided some useful tips for closing the mind. But Harry still wasn't getting it.

"I am; you're just a lot better at this than I am."

"Yes, because I concentrated. You are very powerful. You just don't use your power. I think you want me to see what you're thinking. Every time I break through you have that little grin and a blush."

"Because when you're in the room I'm always thinking about you. And what I want to do to you."

"Hmm," Draco stood still, not looking at anything particular when an evil smile crossed his lips. "A new plan! You must try to block me. If I manage to break through, whatever I see there is what we will _not_ be doing for at least a week."

"What? But..."

"You _must _learn occlumency, Harry. That's all there is to it. If this is the only way, then so be it. But, like any deal, there is a flip side. If you successfully clear your mind and block my attacks, then we can do whatever you were _not_ thinking of."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Really? Anything?"

Draco shrugged. "Really. I'm an adventurous person and could be persuaded to try anything once. Although, if your recent performance is anything to go by, you're going to be wanking alone for weeks."

"We'll see about that."

"So it's a deal?"

"Deal."

"Okay, are you ready?" Harry nodded. "Legilimens!"

It took a few moments as Harry attempted a block, but eventually Draco broke through and saw several images. Harry at the Dursley's, Harry in the Chamber of Secrets, and finally Harry standing in his shower while Draco was on his knees in front of him.

Draco smirked when he broke the connection. Harry was holding his head and shaking it slightly.

"Looks like someone isn't getting sucked off this week." Harry scowled at him. "That was a bit better though. You held out a little longer. Still not good enough."

Draco considered him for a few moments and continued. "Do you know what your problem is? You lead with your emotions."

"I knew that already. Dumbledore always said that it was my ability to love that made me more powerful than Voldemort."

Draco snorted. "Dumbledore would. And I'm not saying he was wrong, but that's not the whole truth. The ability to love may provide an advantage over someone like the Dark Lord, but the inability to set it aside is your greatest weakness. Dumbledore must have known that or he wouldn't have had you try Occlumency in the first place. Even he knew that you had to find a balance between love and duty."

"But how do I suppress all of the emotion I feel constantly?"

"I was always taught to keep my emotions under control. It's so easy for me that I don't have to try. You are only going to be able to do it when you realize that all that love inside means nothing if you allow it to weaken you. And your weaknesses will only bring death to those you love."

They ended the session for the day, but Draco's words stuck with Harry all through the evening. He was right and Harry decided that it was truly time to get serious about it. Luckily, his teacher was with him most of the day and all of the night and he made sure that Harry cleared his mind before they went to sleep. After a few days Harry was doing better, but Draco was still breaking into his mind without much effort. Harry finally decided that they needed a break from that, so that he could teach Draco to conjure a patronus.

"A happy memory? You didn't say a patronus was this hard."

"It's not, once you think of a memory."

"I suppose if Weasley can do it... What do you use?"

"It's so automatic to me now that I don't know. It was a lot harder when I was younger and didn't have as many happy ones to choose. Now I just pick a recent happy memory and that gets me there. I'm happy to finally be here, where my parents lived. And maybe part of it is anticipating the happiness of finally beating Voldemort. And I guess I use some of the thoughts like the ones you see during occlumency training," he finished, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Well, I could use something like that."

"You must have more than that."

"Quidditch. There were a few birthdays that I had a good time. My life overall, has been just fine, but nothing stands out over the rest."

"How about... Your mum? The thought of seeing your mum again after the war is over."

"But its' not a memory."

"It shouldn't matter. They say it has to be a memory, but the first time I conjured a real one, I was thinking about the future. The whole point of a patronus is to have happy feelings that go up against the dementors because they only know depression."

Draco nodded and raised his wand, not pointing at anything particular in the center of the room. He closed his eyes tightly for a few moments and then whispered the incantation.

"Expecto Patronum."

Harry smiled as a very faint silver wisp escaped his wand. "That was good."

"It was fog."

"You need practice to get a real one. And it's even harder when there's actually a dementor or something there. Much harder to concentrate on something happy then."

"Well, if Weasley can do it, then I should."

"You can. But Ron's had more practice than you."

Draco huffed and tried the spell again. Harry laughed at his stubbornness and sat down with a book. He could tell that Draco was going to be a while. In fact, Harry had started to doze off in the arm chair when Draco woke him with his excited shouts. Harry jumped up and fumbled for his wand, unsure of what woke him so suddenly.

"I got it!"

"What?"

"I did the patronus," Draco answered with a smug smile.

"You did? What was it?"

The smugness evaporated and Draco didn't look too sure about himself.

"What? Let me see it!"

Draco reluctantly turned and cast the charm once more and Harry was surprised to see a beautiful peacock strutting across the room. It wasn't what Harry was expecting, but then he didn't know what he should expect. The peacock was fitting for Draco. It was a beautiful creature. A bird, yet one that usually stayed on the ground. It is proud, very vain and yet strong. Basically, it was Draco.

"Pathetic, isn't it?"

"No," said Harry. "It's beautiful."

"It's not much better than Weasley's dog."

"Have you ever seen a peacock get irritated? Their feathers fan out and they intimidate those around them into backing down. Sure, they're not great killers or hunters, but they're mostly loyal and don't generally get sick or injured easily. And they would spend all day in front of the mirror if they could. In fact, they're driven by their vanity."

Draco scowled at that. "I'm not that vain."

"You spend more time in the bathroom than me, Ron and Hermione combined."

"I can't help it if the three of you want to go around looking like something the cat dragged in."

"I admit you're a lot smarter than peacocks, but other than that, I think it fits you." Harry stood and Draco ended the charm, letting the peacock fade into silver mist. "It's a beautiful animal, you know."

"How do you know so much about them?" Draco asked, even though he didn't really care about the damn bird when Harry began moving closer to him, a very predatory look in his eyes.

"Saw them at a muggle zoo once. Probably the most attractive bird in the world. Confident... Cocky... You're like that. You know how hot you are when you strut around the house and through the halls at Hogwarts."

Draco smirked and went forward, claiming Harry's lips in a fierce kiss, knowing that Weasley and Granger had gone to town and wouldn't be back for a little while yet.

They had barely had time to get cleaned up and looking somewhat normal before they heard the couple come back in from their trip and arguing loudly. Ron sulked the entire time they were cooking dinner and was mostly silent when they all sat down. Harry knew better than to ask what was going on because he wouldn't have gotten a straight answer anyway.

"Harry," Hermione said suddenly while they were eating. "What is that on your neck?"

Immediately everyone at the table stopped what they were doing. Draco searched every bit of exposed skin to find what caught Hermione's attention. They were always so careful to not leave marks... at least ones that could be seen whilst fully clothed. Harry's eyes were huge with surprise– or fear, but he tried to stay nonchalant.

"Wha?" His hands went immediately for the left side of his neck where Hermione was staring, as if he could feel whatever she saw. She reached over and pulled at the neckline of his T-shirt.

"Is that a scratch? It looks like it drew blood! How did that happen?"

He looked to Draco hoping he could pass a suitable response telepathically. Then he glanced at Ron, who had stopped chewing his food midway through a particularly large bite.

"Er...Crookshanks."

Draco cocked his head to the side in a "what-the-hell-you-couldn't-think-up-something-better-than-that?" gesture.

"Crookshanks did that?"

"Yes... He's mad at me– ever since I took that ball of string away from him the other day." Harry nodded just for extra emphasis.

Draco was quite sure he'd be sick and suppressed the urge to smack the back of Harry's head. To his dismay, Harry continued.

"Yeah. In the library... he was walking on the top of his favorite book case and jumped down on me."

Hermione frowned and ever so slightly glanced at Draco. "That's not like him."

This was it. The ever annoying and cliched moment of truth. Harry looked up into Draco's eyes and silently they knew there was no way out of this one. And then...

"Come on, 'Mione. You know that cat is a bit daft. And he's been acting even weirder. It's no wonder your parents didn't want him staying with them anymore."

Harry and Draco both held their breath. Had Ron unknowingly come to their rescue?

"I just can't believe he'd do something that bad to Harry! It looks like it drew blood. Does it hurt, Harry?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply only to be cut off by Ron.

"That's because you never want to believe that beast is capable of anything bad. Ever since third year."

"You trusted him well enough after you found out who Scabbers was!"

And just like that, it became another lover's quarrel and Harry and Draco were off the hook. The disagreement lasted through dinner and Draco's smirks went unnoticed. As did Harry's stifled giggles. And no one noticed the brief look of understanding that passed between them before Draco excused himself from the table. Harry left several minutes later and headed up the stairs to Draco's room.

The blonde was waiting for him at the door and claimed Harry's lips even before the door was shut.

"That was a close one, huh?" Harry managed to get out.

"Shut up and kiss me."

Harry complied, always happy to take that order, and a few moments later Draco broke away, gasping for air.

"Do you know how hot you are when you don't know what the fuck you're talking about?"

"Was it that bad?"

"Horrible. Blaming the cat? It's a good thing your friends are even thicker than you." Draco moved to kiss him again, but Harry pulled away.

"Hey. You just insulted me _and_ my friends."

Draco didn't let the conversation stop him and began sucking on Harry's neck.

"Ohhh... but if you keep doing that I don't care who you insult. Just don't leave anymore marks."

"But I want to mark you. I want to write 'Property of Draco' right across your arse."

"They're going to figure it out eventually, you know."

"Not if they don't see your arse."

"You know what I mean."

Draco stopped kissing and sat down on the bed. "So let them figure it out. Weasley might try to kill me in my sleep, but that doesn't really scare me, you know?"

"It's not their business. I don't bother them about who they fuck. It's nothing that needs a formal announcement. It's not like we're getting married or anything."

Draco thought about that for a moment and then laughed humorlessly. "Although, considering the slim chances that either of us are going to make it out of this war alive, I suppose we can say that we will spend the rest of our lives together."

Harry joined Draco on the bed. "I love your positive and upbeat attitude. Even though I do think you're right."

"Look, they're your friends. Tell them if you want."

"I don't want. I want this one thing to stay a secret."

"You're worried your friends will hate you."

Harry hated it when Draco knew what he was thinking. When did the blond get to be so omniscient anyway? "Don't you think I have reason to? It's not like Ron's attitude has been encouraging. And, in the muggle world, I've heard of people being disowned for coming out. The only family that I have is Ron and Hermione. Losing them is losing everything."

Draco nodded. "I'd say we both have more important things to worry about these days. You can keep your secret and if they find out we'll deal with it then."

"Now where were we? Oh yeah." Harry leaned into Draco and they fell back onto the bed together, quite happy to not think about Ron and Hermione for a while.


	14. Just When Things Were Going Well

**A/N: The beginning of this chapter was inspired by the beautiful promotional pictures of Daniel Radcliffe in the play Equus... **

**Chapter 14 - Just When Things Were Going Well...**

"Hey Weasley, your family's pathetic owl is at the window."

"Maybe Mum sent more sweets!"

"Honestly Ron, is that all you ever think about?"

"Granger, would you rather hear about what most guys always think about?"

Harry laughed; another sunny morning in Godric's Hollow. Maybe they weren't all the best of friends, but Harry figured that it was as good as it was going to get. It was so easy to forget that outside their little home the world was chaotic.

"Harry, it's for you."

Harry picked up the small, wrapped package and opened the letter attached to the outside.

"Odd. It's from your sister. '_Harry, I hope you read this before opening the package or you may get a bit of a nasty shock. You are now even more famous than Lockhart! Yes, that's right _Witch Weekly_ has included you on their cover for the Most Attractive Wizards edition! They've even used a new picture of you. I must say though, it appears you've been exercising quite a bit lately.'_ I haven't had my picture taken lately!"

"They're probably just the old pictures that they've been running since this summer."

"What pictures?"

"Ginny told me months ago that _Witch Weekly_ has been running your picture, along with various stories ever since we left school. I assumed you knew."

"As if I read this magazine! Why didn't she tell me? How did they get my picture?"

"There were photographers sneaking around Hogsmeade and Kings Cross Station when we left school."

"And you didn't think I needed to know?"

"Honestly, Harry it's not a big deal. This kind of thing happens all the time to muggle celebrities."

"Well, I'm not a muggle celebrity! They can't take my picture without me knowing!"

"Oh for goodness sake, just open the package already and get it over with!"

Harry opened it and sure enough, his face was on the cover of the most popular witch's magazine in the country. And not, apparently, for the first time. Harry was face to face with an image of him completely nude, standing next to a unicorn underneath a head line that read:_ "The Most Attractive Wizards Issue! Harry Potter; Where is he? And is he available?" _The problem was not only had he been featured without permission, but it wasn't even him! The face was his, he couldn't deny that, but that was most certainly _not_ his body, although part of him wished that it was.

"Bloody hell! When did you do this?"

"Do you honestly think that I would pose for a picture like this, Ron?"

"Besides Weasley, look at him. He's scrawny, malnourished and recovering from a near-death experience. This guy," Draco pointed to the cover, "obviously works out."

"What do you know about it?"

"I happen to be an expert on the male form."

"You would have to be an expert after all those hours you spend in front of the mirror," said Hermione. "I don't know, Harry. They did a pretty good job on it. You can't even tell."

"Wow, it's just like magic, huh?" Harry replied with more than a hint of sarcasm. "I don't know how they did it, but it's not me and they are going too far! It's bad enough that they print lies about me, now they're faking pictures too! I'm going to sue them!"

"Are you sure it's fake?" asked Ron.

Harry stared at him blankly. "Are you saying that I would forget something like this? Okay, you got me. My secret is out! Harry Potter likes to get naked with various magical creatures. I'm making a calendar. You should see the ones of me with Aragog! It's hot!"

"Okay, Harry, that's enough. Ron is sorry he asked the dumbest question I've ever heard. But you have to admit, they did a really good job with the picture."

Harry nodded. "You'd think with Voldemort on the loose they would have better things to write about than my sex life!"

"Can you blame them for trying to be light-hearted? We've all seen enough death already, there's no sense in publishing it more. And you're the celebrity that they most want to read about now."

"You dated a woman who actually reads this garbage, Potter?" asked Draco.

"I would guess it was Mrs. Weasley who actually has the subscription."

Ron nodded. "So according to them you're the most attractive wizard?"

"It looks like it," said Hermione, flipping through the pages. "Lockheart's still on here, but he's rated number ten."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm so relived that I'm more attractive than Lockheart. I was really worried there for a bit."

"What does the rest of Ginny's letter say?"

Harry looked back down at it and read aloud again. "'_After extensive research on the subject, I found that they most likely used a picture of a muggle film actor who actually looks a bit like you. I also found that it doesn't take much to combine the pictures and enchant them the way they have here.'_ There, are you happy? Even my ex doesn't believe that this is me!" He glared at Ron briefly before continuing. "'_I had no idea you...'_ Er, nevermind."

"What does it say?"

"Personal."

Hermione raised her eyebrow in amusement at the fierce blush that was lighting up his face and turned her attention back to the article. "There are all sorts of people speculating on where you've been. They have whole section devoted to 'Harry Sightings.' Two in London and one in Scotland. That one claims that you're actually engaged to her."

"Impossible," said Draco, taking the magazine from Hermione. "He's marrying Madeline from the flower shop, remember?"

Harry scowled and left the table, making his way to the library.

"Oh, look at that, Potter! You won the Most Charming Smile award too!"

Draco smirked when he heard the library door slam shut.

By that night, Harry swore if he heard one more centerfold comment he was going to hex all three of his house mates. It was a pointless threat, as Hermione and Ron were already heading to bed and Draco was the only one he would have to worry about.

"So you're a true celebrity now," Draco said as he undressed in Harry's room.

Harry sat down heavily on the bed. "I don't want to hear any more about my modeling career."

"I wasn't going to say it," Draco replied. He knelt down on the bed and crawled over Harry until they were facing each other. "I was just going to ask what the Weaslette said in her letter."

"Erm... I read it out loud."

Draco's eyes narrowed slightly but he moved closer, so that their mouths were almost touching. "The part that you wouldn't read. The part that was 'personal.'"

"It's... personal." He was having a hard time concentrating with Draco's body pressed against his and his breath hot on Harry's lips.

"Tell me," he whispered.

"It's personal," Harry repeated.

Without warning Draco had his arms pinned above his head and his feet had Harry's legs pinned as well. There was no possible way Harry was going anywhere until Draco allowed it.

"You've had my dick up your arse. What's more personal than that?"

He had a point of course. But Harry felt a little awkward discussing his ex-girlfriend with his currant... boyfriend? Fuck buddy? Lover? He didn't even know what they were, or what Draco considered him to be.

"What's the big deal?"

"I might ask you the same. You said that she was completely over you, yet she's writing you letters that make you blush. So spill it. What did she say?"

And then it hit him. "You're jealous!"

Draco's eyebrows shot up momentarily before forcing himself to take on a look of indifference.

"Why would I be jealous? I don't care who you fucked before me."

"You are," Harry laughed. "You're worried that there's still something between me and her. I assure you that the letter has nothing to do with when we went out! It's just the way she likes to pick on people. She's a lot like the twins in that way. Come to think of it, I'm surprised I haven't gotten a note from them, too."

"So then what did she say?"

There was no point in hiding it and Draco wasn't going to let it drop.

"She said with the unicorn in the picture it reminded her of the time we did it in the Forbidden Forest. And then she made some rather obscene remarks about being kinky with animals, which, just for the record, I did _not_ do."

"You did it in the forest? Do you realize how many things may have seen you?"

"I know, it's weird, but that was part of the fun."

"Thinking that Hagrid was going to catch you was fun?"

"Ew. No. I didn't think about Hagrid, but the other creatures... well, you never know what or who is lurking around in there."

"You wanted to be caught I think. I've noticed it here, too. You think it's hot wondering if someone is going to walk in on us. Maybe you even want to be watched."

Harry blushed and didn't meet Draco's eyes. "Weird, I know."

"No, just kinky." Draco smirked and bent down to whisper into his ear. "I bet you took her to the back of the library just to see if you could get off before someone came looking for you."

Harry blushed even deeper. They _had_ done it up against a shelf of books about Divination when Ginny was supposed to be studying for O.W.L.'s.

"Is that what you want? To fuck in front of an audience, just so they'll know that you're not such a perfect little savior?"

Harry whimpered and wished that Draco would let go of his hands. He moved his hips up, pressing his groin to Draco's.

"Mm. I think you like this. You like fucking me because you know everyone else thinks it's wrong. You want them to say you're fucking a Death Eater. You want to be a bad boy and shatter their perfect image of you."

"Draco, please."

Draco smiled. A rather evil smile, in Harry's opinion. It was a look that clearly said that he wasn't giving in easily and it made Harry's heart pound in his chest from the excitement.

"Oh no, Bad Boy. You'll have to beg better than that."

* * *

Harry woke the next morning to find the space next to him on the bed was empty. Draco often woke early and used Harry's private bathroom to avoid conflicts with Ron and Hermione over his "mirror time," as they had come to call it. He stretched and then winced as he felt a stiffness and mild discomfort through his entire body. But it had been more than worth it. Seeing that it was already after nine, he showered and dressed quickly and went down to breakfast.

"There he is," said Hermione when he entered the kitchen. "We were wondering if you were still with us. You never sleep this late– Are you okay, Harry?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Didn't you sleep well? You're walking a little funny."

Before Harry could say a word they were all distracted by Draco, normally the sophisticated, neat individual, choking on his breakfast. He had been halfway through a bite of blueberry muffin when Hermione's words caught him off guard. She ran over immediately to pat him on the back.

"Are _you_ okay now?"

"Wonderful," Draco wheezed, taking a sip of juice. "Just went down wrong."

Harry sat directly across from the blond, quite satisfied that if Draco was going to laugh at him, at least Karma was paying him back.

"Merlin. First Harry, now you."

"I'm just fine," said Draco, having recovered a bit more. "Weasley's barn-like eating habits have finally rubbed off on me is all."

Ron exclamation of "I resent that, Malfoy!" may have almost been effective, if he hadn't had his mouth full of food at the time.

Only a few moments later a package arrived via owl, addressed to Harry, Ron and Hermione. It contained a short note and a copy of the _Daily Prophet._

"Don't tell me you're modeling for them now, too," drawled Draco.

Even Ron snorted in amusement, remembering the issue of Witch Weekly that was now perched atop the fireplace mantle where they could all be reminded to tease Harry about it.

"Yes, this time I'm laying with a Basilisk," Harry quipped.

"Ew, Harry, we're trying to eat here."

Harry chuckled and read the note aloud. "_Thought you and your houseguest would want to know. R.J.L._ What on earth?"

"Bloody hell," said Ron, unfolding the paper.

_Massive Azkaban Escape! Authorities fear that You-Know-Who's army has grown!_

Harry recognized every one of the faces on that front page. They had all been at the Ministry for Magic and captured by Dumbledore and the Order two years ago. Bellatrix and Voldemort were the only ones who escaped that night. Most of all, he recognized Lucius Malfoy's sneering face looking up at them. Draco's father. This opened up all sorts of questions that Harry didn't want to answer. Would Lucius be looking for his son? Would Draco go with him? Were the Malfoys ready to commit to the Order of the Phoenix?

Draco didn't speak for most of the day. Harry tried to get him alone to talk, but the Slytherin always found a way to avoid it, until Ron got up from his seat in the library to join Hermione in the kitchen for lunch.

"Are you going to talk about it?"

"What is there to talk about?"

"You're father."

"I suspect he'll be looking for me now. I've been thinking of a way to let him know that I'm okay without compromising him or our position if the message is intercepted."

"Any ideas yet?"

"Nothing that Granger would allow."

"Draco, what if your father is... If he's still loyal..."

"He's not! I've told you before that my father would do anything for me and my mother. He wouldn't go back to him."

"Draco, I didn't want to push this..."

"Then don't!"

"... but this is war and anything can happen. I just want you to be prepared in case...in case things aren't the way you think."

Draco wouldn't look at him. He was staring determinedly at the book in his lap and Harry hated saying this, but it couldn't be helped. He and Draco may have moved on from the past, but he never believed that Lucius Malfoy was anything but a Death Eater.

Most of the day passed with the same forced silence. Two more owls arrived during lunch. One from McGonagall and one from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, both telling of the Azkaban break and warning them to be careful. Several more came in the afternoon from the various Weasleys, updating them on what the Order was doing to track down the escapees. Draco seemed to jump every time an owl came to the window, and every time Harry knew it wasn't going to be the letter the blond wanted to get. Occlumency practice that day was easier than it ever had been because, despite Draco's lectures about disregarding emotions, he still couldn't concentrate knowing his father was out there.

Late into the evening, after dinner, another owl arrived. Harry took the parchment from the bird and his heart skipped a beat when he saw who it was addressed to. Draco stared at it in his hands for several seconds before excusing himself to his room to read it. Ron and Hermione both frowned at that and Harry volunteered to go talk to him. He knocked on the bedroom door, but there was no answer, so he eventually invited himself in. He found Draco sitting at his desk, just the way he had Christmas night, but he wasn't writing.

"Was it from your father?"

"No. Snape."

"Snape?"

Draco handed the letter out for Harry to take.

_Draco,_

_As the papers have all reported, your father and the others have been freed from Azkaban. Upon his return to his Master, he was ordered to find and kill you because of your betrayal. Stay with Potter. Do not attempt to contact your father._

_SS_

"Fuck," Harry breathed.

"Indeed."

"Draco, I'm sorry."

The blond looked up then. "My father had to go along with the orders or the Dark Lord would have killed him, but he's not actually going to do it."

Harry wasn't so sure. "Draco, it's not as if he's got a spotless record."

"But he wouldn't kill his own son."

"Snape seems to think he would."

Draco's eyes narrowed as he glared at Harry. He stood and crossed the room, coming to a stop several feet away from Harry, and stood with his arms crossed. "Since when do you care what Snape says? I thought you believe that he's working for the Dark Lord."

Damn. He had a point. "I do, but it's complicated. Why would he send a letter telling you _not_ to go? If he was trying to lure you out, then I wouldn't care what he thinks, but it sounds like he's trying to keep you safe."

"No, this is about you hating my father even more than you do Snape!"

"Actually, yes, I do hate him! He's a fucking lunatic!"

Draco shook his head almost violently. "You don't know him. Despite your ideas that he's some kind of monster, he's still my father and he wouldn't do this!"

This was the most worked up Harry had seen Draco since they had started living together. The yelling was almost like old times in the halls of Hogwarts. "He's tried to kill me– more than once! And he raised you to be a heartless killer. How is that a happy childhood?"

"You don't know anything about it! He taught me to be strong and loyal to my family and that's what I intend to do!"

"He's gone back to Voldemort!"

"When he's found me again he'll leave the Death Eaters forever!"

"How are you so fucking sure?"

"Because he's a Malfoy! Malfoys are better than that!"

"You arrogant little shit. You're name doesn't mean as much as you think it does. It doesn't mean anything to Voldemort, the man your fucking father has served for so long. Do you think he's going to choose his name over his Master now? No! He's going to kill his own blood for the cause, and you'll be an example for all those who think they're going to switch sides!"

"He's not going to. He'll understand why I had to do what I've done."

Harry almost laughed at that. "You were so afraid of him you weren't going to tell him you're gay, but you think he's just going to accept _this_?"

"How is that different than you with Weasley and Granger? You're afraid to tell them, but you still know they won't hand you over to the Dark Lord!"

"You're father has a history of manipulating people and killing those he can't manipulate. He knows only violence and hate and has always expected you to follow him!"

"He may agree with what the Dark Lord believes, but he _will not_ follow the man who threatened his family. You can't condemn him simply for his belief, for you would condemn half of our world!"

"And you?" Harry asked, suddenly quiet.

"What about me?"

"Do you believe it?"

Draco turned away.

"According to your father and his Master, me and Hermione are Mudbloods and Ron, and now you, are blood traitors. Is that what you think?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"No, it isn't actually. It comes down to this, Draco; do you think your blood makes you better than me?"

Draco was silent, but he seemed conflicted about something.

"I've trusted you with a lot. Hell, I wouldn't even be alive without you. But your father being out changes everything. I need to know that you're still with me. That blood isn't going to matter. I know I'm asking you to possibly go against your own father, but –"

"No."

Harry's heart stopped. "No?"

"My father _will_ come to our side."

Harry nodded, knowing that it was all he was going to get out of the man and relieved that at least Draco had said "our" and not "your" side.


	15. Of Blood and Loyalties

**Chapter 15 – Of Blood and Loyalties**

Harry was amazed at how quickly they again forgot what was going on outside their perfect little world at Godric's Hollow. Weeks passed since the Azkaban escape, and Harry and Draco had come to a silent agreement to not talk about it anymore after the fight over Lucius Malfoy. In no time they had been back to shagging like rabbits whenever they could find time and at the end of February they had still managed to keep their secret. Ron and Hermione were bound to find out eventually, but that didn't stop the boys from pressing their luck.

In fact, they had really made a game out of making inappropriate gestures without getting caught. Harry almost lost when Draco grabbed his thigh under the table half-way through a conversation with Ron about the old Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Harry had stopped mid-sentence when he realized that he had managed to utter the words "Oliver's wood" and mention his "big broom." Draco had been a big help saving him from that situation.

"Seriously, Potter. You need to lay off the firewhisky."

Ron didn't seem to completely understand what had just happened. He knew Harry wasn't drinking, but he also knew that he had missed a rather important detail somewhere.

Hermione hadn't seemed to completely put the pieces together yet either, but she was quicker than Ron, so it would only be a matter of time. She had been hinting for a week, but Harry had avoided being alone with her. Of course, Hermione can always find a way to get around small detours.

"So where were you two all afternoon?"

Harry glanced across the room at Draco who shrugged. They were doing their usual after dinner reading in the living room when Hermione apparently couldn't keep her silence any longer.

"Where were you and Ron?"

"I asked you first."

"In the house."

"Where?" she persisted.

"Draco worked on his potions for a while." Truth was Harry blew him in the lab when they went down there to check on the progress of a headache relief potion. "Then we worked on sensing magical traces." Which they actually did for about ten minutes until Harry got bored and they started making out on the love seat. "Then we started on dinner." After a quick shag on the kitchen table. Hermione didn't need to know the details anyway.

"Uh-huh. You weren't in your room at all?"

Damn. They were in there for a mid-afternoon snog... and maybe some shower sex. But Harry knew he remembered the silencing charm. Maybe...

"So I took a shower before dinner, Hermione. If you and Ron are too busy fucking to babysit me you might want to think about getting a nanny. Or I can write down my exact location and activities next time."

"That should be interesting," murmured Ron.

"Harry, it's just that you've been acting very secretive lately. We're a little concerned that there's something wrong that you're not telling us."

Hermione glanced at Draco as she finished. He had stayed silent the whole time. His head was stuck in his book, but Harry could tell that he wasn't actually reading. Maybe it was time to come clean anyway.

"I promise you that nothing is wrong, guys. Actually the opposite..."

They were saved the explanation by an owl scratching at the window. Harry and Draco recognized it at once as Snape's.

"It's addressed to you, Harry." Hermione quickly went through some standard detection spells that she had begun using on their mail and then handed the parchment to him.

He opened the letter, scanned it quickly, and began to read it aloud.

"'_They know the werewolf is a spy. Get word to the Order immediately. I don't know when they are going to pick him up. S.S.'_"

Harry finished and looked up at the others. "We have to warn Remus."

"I'll send a patronus message to him and Tonks, but it's too dangerous to go. It may be a trap."

"I don't care, Hermione. This is Remus. And it may be too late by the time we wait for his reply. I'm going to apparate there while you find Tonks."

"But what if it's a trap...like Sirius."

Harry was nearly to the door when Hermione's words hit him and he spun around and glared at her.

"You just had to remind me that you're always right, didn't you? No one asked you to go then and no one's asking you to go now. You should call Tonks, but I'm going over to his place just in case. I know this could be a trap, and even if it's not, I could get in the middle of things when they come to take him. But I don't care. I'm going."

"Harry, you can't. You've barely recovered from your last near-death experience!" Draco shouted, momentarily forgetting to use "Potter" in front of Ron and Hermione.

"I'm perfectly recovered. I haven't even had a pain potion in over a month. And Merlin himself couldn't keep me from going to him."

"I'm going with you then."

"I'm not dragging anyone else into a trap with me."

"Someone's got to save your arse!"

"That's what he's got me for," said Ron.

"I said 'save' his arse, Weasley, not land it in the hospital."

Harry headed out the door and they followed, arguing the whole time.

"Be careful," said Hermione, giving Ron a kiss as they put on their cloaks. "I'll be there with you as soon as I speak with Tonks."

The three apparated to the secluded, severely run-down cabin. Harry knew the place well, after having gone there for lessons with Remus, and knew as soon as he took the first step that something was wrong. In the place where they were standing he should have been able to feel the light tingle of the wards, but there was nothing except an anti-apparition barrier. Looking up, Harry could see flashes of light in the upstairs bedroom. Remus was still in there. He began to run toward the house, crunching through the snow, Ron and Draco following behind.

Draco had been the last to enter the house and had let Harry and Ron get much further ahead than intended. Maybe it was just his survival instincts, but he didn't feel the need to rush ahead when he knew there were Death Eaters inside waiting for them. Harry and Ron were in such a hurry to reach Lupin that they just went ahead without consideration of who may be waiting. _Gyffindors,_ Draco thought. Their bravery often ran away with them. Draco took his time looking for signs of a trap and then he heard a voice that brought a chill having nothing to do with the cold air. He turned to see his father peering out a partially opened door.

"Draco! You need to get out of here!"

Draco stopped and ducked into the room.

"Father! You're here!"

"Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle are dueling Lupin. I was their look out in case Potter or the Order of the Phoenix showed up. I didn't think you'd be with him."

"Father, you can come with us. I've got so much to tell you. You don't have to serve him anymore. Harry will help protect you. He's going to win!" The sight of his father had awakened the little boy in Draco, trying desperately to please, his voice alive with hope for the first time in... well, possibly ever.

"'Harry,' is it?" Lucius' voice was carefully guarded and controlled, which was never a good sign. "So it's true; you are a traitor."

"Father... You haven't really been ordered to kill me, have you?" He had suddenly become aware that Lucius' wand, although not pointed at anything, was at the ready, not relaxed as it should be during a father-son chat.

"I have. Although, I had hoped that you would be willing to leave Potter and plead for mercy from the Dark Lord."

"You can't still want to follow him after what he did to us!"

"He may be a hard man to serve, but I believe in his cause, I always have."

Draco shook his head, hoping that he wasn't hearing his father correctly. "But I'm your son."

"And you have betrayed me!"

"He wanted to kill me! He tried to kill Mother!"

"And he may have very well succeeded. He won't tell me what happened to her–and it's all because of _you_, Draco! I taught you better than this."

"You taught me to be proud, to be a Malfoy! Malfoys don't bow to anyone. You remember that? But the minute he came back you became a worthless servant!"

"Draco, you speak against the Dark–"

"I speak against him because he's cruel! He gave me a mission that would get me killed because of your failure! And after I spent a year trying to kill Dumbledore, that old man was the one still willing to give me a chance! He was willing to take in you and Mother too, even after everything you've done!"

"He lied."

"No! He didn't. Because they don't lie, Father. We do. We're the liars and cheaters and killers. They're just trying to survive a war that we started."

"You really have defected."

"I just joined the right side finally."

Draco opened the door and began to walk away. He could hear commotion on the second floor and it sounded as if they were making it down the steps.

"Wait." Draco turned to look at his father once more. "You know what I have been ordered to do."

"You're going to kill me?"

It was almost a statement. He couldn't summon enough shock or anger to make it past the numb he was feeling. Draco backed into the hall, but Lucius followed.

"I have to. You've betrayed our family." Lucius slowly raised his wand, but they both snapped their heads toward the stairs when they heard Ron tumble down the last several steps.

He saw the two Malfoys, but didn't realize right away that the raised wand meant that they weren't on friendly terms.

"Fuck! You tricked us, Malfoy!"

"You bloody git! He's trying to kill me!"

Draco used the seconds in which Lucius was distracted to raise his own wand and fire a stunning spell. Lucius noticed just in time and blocked. Ron came to Draco's aid, but after years of training and skill, Lucius was too quick. The front door swung open to reveal another Death Eater who immediately started firing hexes.

"I'll get him," yelled Ron.

Harry was battling his way down the stairs with Remus. He had managed to hold off all three enemies for about twenty minutes before the three teens had arrived. Now only two Death Eaters were chasing them back down.

It didn't take Harry as long as Ron to figure out what happened. He caught one of the Death Eaters with a stunning spell and tried to get to Draco to help. Ron had stunned the other Death Eater and was trying to help Draco again, but Harry knew that the two of them were no match for Lucius. Unfortunately, they were going to be on their own because more Death Eaters were pouring in the door.

"So, Harry, what's the plan?" asked Remus as they continued ducking and dodging spells and firing off a few of their own.

"Uh... Plan?"

"You don't have a plan?"

"The plan was to save your arse. Hermione was contacting Tonks when we left. She'll think of something."

"That's your plan?"

"Who needs a plan when you have Hermione?" Harry tried to smile at that, despite blocking a curse and stunning a Death Eater who was coming toward them.

"Well, she better hurry. There's more of them!"

"Don't worry, it's Hermione."

The fight continued and even Harry was beginning to wonder if they were going to make it. He saw Ron out of the corner of his eye and wondered how he had gotten separated from Draco. Harry found himself backed into a corner. With nowhere to go he only had his quick thinking and wand to save him. He sent out a mental prayer to whatever deity was listening. It must have worked because the front door burst open once more to reveal Hermione. With a fierce glint in her eyes, her cloak billowing around her and wand pointed out, she looked like some sort of super hero from a movie. Or maybe she just appeared that way because Harry was so happy to see her. Either way, the distraction was enough for Harry to stun the Death Eater in front of him. Hermione had brought several Order members with her and the Death Eaters were finally outnumbered. Harry rushed to Remus' side and they quickly disarmed and stunned Nott.

"I told you; who needs a plan when we have Hermione?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "I think you were lucky."

"Hey don't knock it. It's helped me survive this long."

They rejoined the fight, but Harry kept looking for Draco. He finally found both Malfoy men in the kitchen. Draco held his own for this long, but Harry could see that he was quickly tiring. He wanted to help, but there were no clear shots at Lucius and he didn't want to risk hitting Draco. Harry ran into the kitchen, hoping for a better angle or at least to distract Lucius. Unfortunately, Lucius was far too quick for him and Harry found himself ducking a series of spells that he wasn't sure what they were.

"Potter, get out of here," Draco paused to block a jinx. "He's going to kill you."

"No he won't. His boss wants to do that personally."

"Then he'll stun you and kill me. Shit!" Draco dove across the room to dodge the next curse.

While the younger Malfoy was struggling to regain his bearings Lucius spun to Harry and fired off a hex that sent him through the window and into the cold night air. It wasn't a far drop, but the window was high enough that it forced Harry to go around to the front of the house and through the battle zone once more. He could see what happened next, but for as much as he tried, couldn't get there in time.

Draco was standing in front of his father and nearly hit him with a curse. Harry wasn't sure which one. Lucius ducked the beam, but while he was bent over Harry saw a flick of silver come out of his boot. The arm that held the dagger slashed upward and across Draco's stomach. Harry could hear himself scream from a distance like it was someone else. All he could think of was getting to Draco. Blood was pouring over the kitchen floor as Draco fell, first to his knees and then onto his back. Lucius knelt next to him, whispering something, then he stood and made eye contact with Harry who was pushing his way through the battle. He smirked and disappeared out the window. Harry didn't even bother trying to get him. He threw himself on the floor next to Draco.

Harry wasn't good at healing charms or first aid at all, but he could tell that Draco's wounds were critical. He did the only thing he knew to do; he ripped off his robes and laid it across the cut, applying pressure, while screaming for help. Draco was barely on the edge of consciousness, but he looked up at Harry and tried to smile before passing out.

Harry desperately felt for his pulse. It was there, but weak. Hermione came finally, asking what happened. She looked at the wound and cringed. She didn't usually have a weak stomach, so Harry took this as an ominous sign. Nevertheless, she pointed her wand at the bloody gash and tried a few healing spells.

"It's not working. It's too deep and I think the blade may have been cursed. He needs a proper healer."

"I'll take him to St. Mungo's."

"He can't go there. They'll arrest him!"

"I'm not going to let him die, Hermione!"

"Well they _will_ let him die when they see who it is." She chewed her lip in thought. "Madam Pomfrey. Mr. Weasley mentioned that she would be staying at Order Headquarters. Keep pressure over the wound. That might slow the bleeding enough. Apparate him back to the house and get him in bed. Just keep pressure on it, don't do anything else until we know what the curse was. I'm going to get Remus to contact her. We'll be there shortly."

Shortly seemed like forever though. Draco didn't regain consciousness and Harry did as he was told and waited. Each breath Draco took allowed Harry to breathe again too. If Draco didn't breathe right away Harry swore his own heart actually stopped while he waited. He couldn't lose Draco. The two months since Christmas had been, oddly, the best of Harry's life. He was in hiding and trying to find a way to kill the most powerful Dark wizard in the world, but all of that stress melted away when he and Draco were alone. He had wondered for a while if he was falling in love and now there was no question. He didn't even feel that he could go on without Draco. Harry let out a bitter laugh when he realized that although he had faced Lord Voldemort in battle and conquered Dementors– things that would surely break other wizards– the thought of losing Draco Malfoy was the scariest thing he could imagine.

When Madame Pomfrey arrived with Hermione, Harry was forcibly removed from the room. Ron, Remus and Tonks arrived a little later, when the situation was finally under control at Remus' house. They tried to get him to rest or eat, but Harry sat outside the blond's room for hours waiting for news. Every so often Hermione ran down to the potions lab for supplies, but she refused to comment on what was going on. Finally, around two in the morning, an exhausted Madam Pomfrey came out and told them all that Draco was sleeping and may not wake for a couple days.

"His body has been through a lot and it takes some time to recover. He's on a blood replenishing potion right now."

"But he will be okay?" asked Harry anxiously.

"I don't know for sure. This was no simple cut. The blade that cut him was poisoned, so he's going to be sick when he wakes up. The cut is closed up as well as we could do with magic, but the poison prevented anything further, so it will have to heal the old fashioned way. That means a lot of pain and very slow recovery."

"There won't be any lasting effects?"

"There will certainly be a scar, but hopefully, there won't be any lasting effects from the poison. It's hard to say for sure. It depends on how soon he wakes. If he wakes tomorrow, then we'll know that we got most of the poison out, if it takes longer, then he'll have the aftereffects for longer.

"He will need constant supervision until he wakes fully. If he starts to wake tonight still he will need a pain potion right away and there are some spells that Miss Granger knows to stop the bleeding if it starts again. Anyone who stays with him will have to know them. I have to be going now. I've been told that there were a couple more casualties that Molly is currently attending to. Will you two be along?"

"I think we'll be staying here tonight," said Remus. "Just in case..."

Harry didn't hear the rest of it as he entered Draco's room. Hermione looked up at him and the sad expression was almost too much.

"Madam Pomfrey told you?" Harry nodded. "He's sleeping really well right now. His father did this?"

"Yes. I saw it happen."

Hermione conjured a chair for Harry next to hers. "Sit. Rest." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lucius must have really been trying to kill him. The poison was fast-spreading and it prevents the wound from healing."

"I want to kill the bastard"

"One Dark wizard at a time, Harry. Lucius will get what's coming to him. Whether by your hand or another's."

Harry couldn't remember the last time that he cried, but tears were now streaking down his cheeks and onto the dirty and blood-soaked collar of his shirt. Hermione noticed and pulled him into a tight hug.

"He'll be just fine. We're all fine."

"His own father, Hermione! Draco was willing to kill or be killed for his mum and dad, and this is how the bastard treats him! What kind of a man does that to his own son?"

"I don't know. The kind who believe in Voldemort's cause, that one kind of person is worth more than another. People who hate so blindly are capable of things that you will never understand, Harry."

"Everyone close to me dies or almost dies."

She pulled out of their embrace and lifted his chin to look him in the eye. "Oh, Harry. Not everyone. We're all still here."

"I'm so afraid of losing someone else."

"I know. I am too. But we're at war and nothing is ever certain. You need to remember that no matter what happens, we all made our choices for ourselves. If we are meant to die in this war, then at least we will die heros of the wizarding world. We will die knowing that we did all we could to defeat evil."

"Tell me it's going to be all right."

"It will, eventually."

And Harry knew that it was all she could promise him. That someday, no matter what happened to them, the war would be over and everything would be fine again.


	16. Three Words

**Chapter 16 - Three Words**

"Harry, it's just for a few minutes. I'll stay with him."

"No, I'm staying."

It was the same argument they must have had fifty times. Harry refused to leave Draco's side. The night of Draco's injury they had all returned to Godric's Hollow exhausted, but no one had slept. It was nearly dawn before Hermione and Ron had gone to bed. Draco needed to be watched constantly and Harry volunteered for the first shift. What they didn't know, is that Harry would see to it that he was there for every shift. In fact, when Hermione woke, she noticed that Harry hadn't even changed out of his clothes from the night before. The blood had dried now and it took some convincing to get him to leave long enough to put on clean clothes and wash up. She thought about magically locking him out so that he would be forced to rest for a while, but then thought better of it.

For three days they had these fights about who would stay with Draco, but Harry knew how serious the situation could be. Madame Pomfrey hadn't thought he would stay unconscious for any more than two days and Harry wasn't about to leave if Draco was worse off than they all thought.

"Harry, I insist. You need sleep and you need to eat this food. You can't possibly be any use to him in this state if he did need you."

"I can do it."

"Of course you can. You're super Harry, defeater of the Dark Lord and champion of wizards everywhere. But I say you're going to get some rest and I don't care if I have to hex you to do it!"

"You two are making enough noise to wake the fucking dead."

"Draco?" Harry ran to his bedside immediately. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"I must be alive because it fucking hurts. What happened?"

Harry paused and glanced up at Hermione. "What do you remember?"

Draco's brow furrowed in concentration. "My father... he... Oh fuck, he cut me."

Harry nodded slowly. "With the knife in his boot."

"I should have realized... I knew it was there. It was supposed to have had a cursed blade."

"We got most of the poison out of your system," said Hermione. "You've been out for a few days and we were all starting to get worried. Now that you're awake and we know you'll be fine, maybe Harry can get some rest."

"Hermione, don't start."

"I'll start if I bloody well want. Draco deserves to know that the guy looking after him wasn't even willing to look after himself." She turned back to Draco's bed while she set a tray down and arranged his blankets. "Harry didn't leave this room for the past three days. He only slept when he passed out here on the chair and it took me threatening his life to even get him to change his clothes."

"My mind was on other things," he replied, bending to help Draco with a glass of water.

"Things that you didn't have any control over, so you would have spent your time better by taking a shower and wearing something clean."

"Do we have to talk about this now?"

"No, we don't. Actually, now that he's awake, I want you to give Draco one vial of pain potion and make sure he eats a little of the soup I brought up for you, unless he starts feeling sick. I'm going out for more potions supplies." She smiled down at Draco. "I'm glad you're okay. I'll be back to check on you in a little while. At which time, I expect you, Harry, to get some rest finally."

She sounded too much like Mrs. Weasley for Harry to do anything but nod in agreement. When the door closed behind her Harry sat back down next to the bed.

"You stayed in here the whole time?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why? It's not like there was anything you could do."

"I couldn't leave you." Harry shrugged. "Maybe I thought if I stayed with you, you wouldn't die."

"That's one of the most arrogant things I've ever heard you say, Potter," he sounded harsh, but Harry could see him wince as he started to laugh. "But then, I guess it worked because I am still here. Perhaps your arrogance is justified."

"Take the pain potion." Harry held it up to Draco's mouth and tilted it back slowly.

"It's disgusting."

"What's your point? After you forced all those gross potions down my throat when I was injured I think I deserve a little payback."

Draco finished the rest of the potion with only a dirty look and tried to feed himself the soup, but gave up after several shaky attempts.

"Let me do it," said Harry, taking the spoon back.

"This is truly pathetic that I can't even pick up a bloody spoon."

"You've been unconscious for three days. It's not pathetic, it's normal."

Draco let Harry feed him a spoonful of soup and then looked down at the bloody bandages. "So, how am I doing? How big is the cut?"

"Big. It's slow healing because of the curse."

Draco nodded. "From the moment I was cut it spread through my body like poison, working to shut down vital organs. I gather they got me in time to stop it from going that far, since I am still here. But it spread far enough in my blood to wear me out, thus the sleeping for three days. I would guess I'll have spontaneous moments of weakness, confusion or dizziness over the next few weeks and possibly for months, although they will decrease over time." He sounded like he had been reading from a text book.

"That's almost exactly what Hermione told me when you didn't wake up the next day. You know a lot about the curse."

"I was raised by Lucius Malfoy, Harry. If it's Dark, then I probably know it."

Harry looked down. "I'm sorry about your father, Draco."

"You were right, I was wrong. That's all. I only wanted to remember the good things. I wanted to believe that he loved me and that he was a good person. I forgot that he can be a real arsehole too. I was stupid."

"It's not stupid to want to believe in your father."

"Don't call that bastard my father. Whatever happens from now on, he's just another one of them. Let's talk about something else. Who helped Granger patch me up? She couldn't have done it all alone."

"Madam Pomfrey. They called her in from Order headquarters. They caught MacNair and Goyle that night, but the others got away."

"Did anyone see Snape there?"

"No... But he wrote to me again. To see how you were. Your– Lucius went back and told everyone that you were dead. Snape wanted to know the truth. He even wrote down a couple of the herbs that would help slow the poison. Of course Madam Pomfrey and Hermione had already used them, but still, he tried to help. Remus even figures that he may have blown his cover in letting us know. If not, they have to be suspecting him by now. I just don't get why he'd do that though."

"Like I said before, he told me to come help you. The night he killed Dumbledore he acted like he hated doing it. Like he really regretted it. And now, he's helping."

"But how can he be on our side after he killed Dumbledore?"

"I'm here, aren't I? And I tried to kill him for a whole year." Draco slipped back down in the bed as he spoke. Harry could tell that he had used up most of his energy again.

"That's very different."

"How is it? You don't know his whole story. Sometimes it's the little details that make the difference."

"We don't need to discuss this now. You need sleep."

Draco frowned. "You just don't want to admit you might be wrong."

"Maybe. But you still need to rest."

"I'll make a deal with you. I'll sleep if you do."

"I'm not leaving this room until Hermione is back to stay with you."

"Then sleep with me." He said it so simply, but his eyes were begging.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

Draco yawned and tried to move over to make room on the bed for Harry. "Then don't touch my stomach. I'll sleep better if you're here."

Finally Harry nodded and climbed under the covers and snuggling up behind Draco. He hadn't realized just how much he had missed this. Holding Draco just felt right. As if there was nothing or no one else in the world. He didn't care if they stayed like that forever. Just before dozing off he wondered what Hermione and Ron would say when they walked in, but then he realized he didn't care.

Harry did eventually leave Draco's room to get cleaned up and change clothes, but he stayed with Draco whenever he was awake. They sat together for hours. Sometimes talking, sometimes silent. It was hard to believe that just three months ago their roles were reversed and Harry was laying in the bed. Now, it was Draco who had almost died and all because he had chose Harry over his father.

Draco was still refusing to talk about what happened with Lucius. Harry noticed he was writing in his journal more than he had before and sometimes wouldn't say any more than "I'm hungry" in between naps. It was only a matter of time, Harry knew, before Draco wasn't going to be able to keep up the charade and his carefully constructed mask would crumble.

A few days after Draco woke up, the wound had finally stopped bleeding when he moved too much and he could be left alone for longer periods of time. He was a very demanding patient, ordering that his research books be brought up and eventually ordering Harry to leave him alone, so he could study them.

"Don't you, Weasley and Granger have some secret business to discuss without me anyway?" he'd said one afternoon.

"We don't have to right now. You're still ill. It takes time."

"It takes time before I'm ready to go following you all over the country, but you can figure out the details now. Then, when I'm ready, you'll also be ready for another near-death experience."

"Well, since you put it like that..." Harry said with a wry smile.

"Harry, I'm not going to let my injury slow down our progress more than it already has. That's like letting them win. We already lost time when you were sick. Losing more would be stupid."

Grudgingly, he admitted that Draco was right and went downstairs to find Ron and Hermione both reading quietly in the library. They looked up when he entered, obviously surprised that he could tear himself away from Draco.

"So... Horcruxes."

Hermione smiled and pulled out her notes.

"Where are we looking next?" asked Ron.

"I'm running out of ideas," said Harry. "Dumbledore didn't believe that it was in Hogwarts or the orphanage. So what's left?"

"Romania was on his list, but that's never made sense," said Hermione. "It's fact that he hid in Albania for most of the time after he lost his powers."

"I don't think that he, in such a weakened state would hide so close to his Horcrux. He knew that some believed him to still be alive and he wouldn't want to chance them finding his secret while looking for him. That's why Dumbledore didn't put Albania on the list."

"Then where's the proof that anything is in Romania?"

"Dumbledore's notes. They said he went their immediately after he lost his powers."

"If it is hidden there, he could have gone to visit his Horcrux," said Ron "and when he realized that it wasn't going to help him get his powers back, he got farther away from it to protect it."

"And it's a country full of Dark Arts, isn't it?"

"The whole region is full of Dark Arts, Harry. That still doesn't tell us why we should look in Romania. Dumbledore doesn't really explain it fully in his notes."

"Tom Riddle traveled a lot after school, right?"

"So?"

"So there must be something about him in Romania that's important. Isn't that where all the vampires and other Dark creatures come from?"

"According to muggle stories, yes. But we know that Dark creatures, like Dark magic, exist everywhere. I meant what I said about the region though. Durmstrang school in Bulgaria teaches Dark Arts if that tells you anything. Dark wizards have been practically running parts of Bosnia for years, getting involved with muggle wars and doing things that even Voldemort doesn't attempt. I understand Voldemort's attraction to the region, but why Romania out of all the other places?"

"So let's go back through the notes on Tom Riddle's travels. There might be something there that we overlooked before."

Hermione nodded. "In the meantime, I think we should talk about Snape."

"Why?" Harry asked, but he already knew where she was going with it. They all knew the conversation was coming after the letter warning them of Remus' situation.

"There's something going on. Beyond just the obvious."

"He killed Dumbledore."

"I know and I'm confused too, but he's trying to help us. He saved Remus and they never even got along."

"You sound like Draco now. Maybe Voldemort wants us to trust him so he can kill us all later."

"I thought of that too, but do you really think that plan goes back far enough for him to have told Draco to come here right after he failed his mission?"

"I don't know." Harry ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Nothing makes sense."

"And there is the matter that Dumbledore trusted him," Ron said.

"But he would never say why!"

"That doesn't mean there wasn't a good reason," replied Hermione. "Maybe he can help."

"No. Absolutely not."

"Just keep an open mind about it? That's all I ask."

He nodded. "I'm going back up to check on Draco. He probably fell asleep in some odd position with his book."

Draco was still only staying awake for two or three hours at a time and Harry opened the door quietly in case he had fallen asleep, but he found the blond quite awake. Draco was sitting in bed and had his pajama shirt unbuttoned, looking at his scar. But not the one Lucius had caused. It was the very faint line on his chest that his finger was running across. It sent a shiver down Harry's spine to see it.

"Are you okay?"

Draco's hands immediately dropped to his sides in an effort to hide what he had been doing. He looked up at Harry with an attempted innocent smile.

"Just seeing how it was healing."

"That particular wound was healed about a year ago."

Draco's face fell. "Just admiring my battle scars."

"I hate seeing that one. Every time I remember what I did and..." he trailed off, looking down at the floor.

"Well with as often as you've seen me naked you must get these pangs of guilt several times a day."

Harry looked him in the eyes before answering. "I do feel guilty."

"You've apologized before. And I've told you that I don't blame you for it."

"I know," said Harry, coming fully into the room. He frowned, remembering that conversation and the thing that hadn't made sense to him at the time. "You said before that it scarred 'enough,' like you wanted a scar. Is that what you meant?"

Draco sighed. "It might be hard to explain."

"Will you try?"

He took a deep breath and began. "You walked in the bathroom right when I was my most desperate. I knew I couldn't complete the mission. I knew deep down that I wouldn't be able to follow through even if the wardrobe was fixed, but I knew what it would mean if I failed. I had to keep showing confidence around the others, but Myrtle didn't know anything about me or what I was doing, so she became the person I talked to. When your curse hit me I thought I was going to die at first. I wanted to die. I wanted to be released from this mission. You can imagine my anger when I found out I would live. Snape and Madame Pomfrey said that it wouldn't scar as long as I kept putting an ointment on it. So I stopped using it. I decided then that if it wasn't going to kill me, then I would keep something to always remind me of how low I was. So that when it was all over I could always remember never to let him or anyone make me feel like that again. I know it doesn't really make sense, but now... I'm glad I have it. The scar Lucius gave me will always remind me of hate. But the scar you gave me will remind me why I can't let their hate control me."

Harry sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through hair that had fallen onto Draco's face. "I think you explained that well."

Draco's head dropped, staring at the bandages on his belly. "I've been so stupid, Harry."

"You're not stupid."

"No, I wanted so badly to believe that he really loved me the way a father should, that I couldn't see the truth."

"We all want to believe that."

Draco looked up and, for the first time since that day in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Harry saw tears in his eyes. "Yours died for you. Mine taught me that power was all that mattered. To control others. To hate. He used to tell me 'There is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.' Guess who he learned that from."

Harry knew because he had heard it before too.

"He paid lip service to family loyalty, but when it came down to it the only thing that mattered was his loyalty to a madman. I should have known."

Draco began to sob now and Harry pulled him into his arms.

"I should have known." He kept repeating it, unable to stop the words or tears.

"Shh." Harry smoothed Draco's hair trying to calm him. "It will be all right. He's not going to hurt you ever again. I won't let him. We're going to end this and then Voldemort and Lucius will never hurt anyone again."

Draco clung to him tightly and Harry kept talking, letting his thoughts from the whole last week finally form into words. "When I thought I might lose you... Well, it scared the fuck out of me. I can't lose you. I love you, Draco."

He pulled back suddenly and Harry mentally kicked himself. Maybe it wasn't the right time. Draco had just nearly been killed by his own father and here Harry was sounding romantic, like some silly girl. Draco looked up at him with a tear-soaked face and red eyes and Harry half expected to be ordered out of the room. He was surprised then when Draco pulled him close again and whispered in his ear.

"I love you, too, Harry."


	17. Out

**Chapter 17 - Out**

Weeks passed in Draco's recovery, but Harry tried to make sure that it didn't slow them down. Harry, Ron and Hermione continued their defense training and research. Once Draco was strong enough to move downstairs during the day he began sitting in on their sessions and attempting to brew his own potions again. "Granger's all taste like shit anyway," he would say. Harry often had to kick Hermione under the table to keep her from launching into an argument about her potions skills.

Eventually, Draco felt well enough to go back to their Occlumency training, which Harry had continued to practice without him anyway. He still got tired out easily, but they were able to practice for a half hour at a time and Harry was showing real improvement under Draco's innovative teaching methods.

Winter seemed to last forever that year and when spring finally did come it was sudden. The bright, cloudless sky at the end of April had all three boys missing Quidditch and staring longingly out the window when they were supposed to be working. Draco voiced this one morning while sitting on the balcony outside Harry's room with a book in his lap.

"It isn't so much the game itself, but flying. Feeling free."

"Are you up to it?"

Draco looked startled. "Up to it?"

"Flying. Are you strong enough? We've got those extra brooms in the attic that we never used. Just forgot about it with the winter and... Well, neither of us have really been up to it, have we? But if you're feeling strong enough we could before lunch. Unless I wore you out earlier." Harry finished with a smirk.

"You have to do more than that to wear me out, Potter."

"Then let's go."

When Draco and Harry entered the library Ron was in his usual seat, apparently sulking while Hermione was, as usual, buried behind a stack of books. She looked up when the door opened and frowned at the brooms.

"We're going flying," said Harry. "Grab your broom if you want, Ron. If you manage to talk Hermione into it we can play some Quidditch too."

They didn't wait for a reply and left again through the door to the kitchen.

"I'll be right there," Ron called. "You coming?"

Hermione just stared at him.

"What? We can't have a game with just three people!"

"I never thought I'd see the two of you so eager about running off to fly with Draco Malfoy."

Ron frowned. "Me either. But I'm not missing a chance to fly. Even if it is with the ferret."

"Have fun. I'll call you all in for lunch."

Ron was just about to the door when he turned around, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Just a question though; when exactly was Malfoy not our prisoner anymore?"

"Just between you and me," sighed Hermione, "I think it was when Harry started falling in love with him."

Ron made a face. He didn't particularly like Hermione's theory that there was something going on between Harry and Draco, but he was seeing now that she was probably right. She was always right after all. It wasn't just them deciding to go flying together. Or even the fact that they had become good friends and looked after each others' injuries. It was a general feeling whenever they were in a room together. Ron could almost feel some unspoken secret. It wasn't that they were touching or flirting. They had apparently gotten good at hiding that. But still, there was _something_. Whatever the case, Ron decided to put it out of his mind and enjoy his morning.

They came in a couple hours later, red-faced and happy. Draco took a couple breaks when he started to feel tired, but he couldn't stay on the ground for long. Although there were three of them, Harry decided to let a snitch go and they all competed to find it. Ron, who had never been a good Seeker, hadn't stood a chance against Harry and Draco. In the end, Harry won and Draco blamed the old broom he was riding.

Hermione had sandwiches waiting on the table for them and she had already sat down with her books to one side.

"Harry after lunch you, Ron and I really need to have a private meeting, since we haven't talked about that in a while."

Harry nodded, but continued eating. She was making notes in her book while she ate and he hated that. He loved her dedication, but he felt, just as Ron and Draco did, that her work ethic would run all of them into the ground.

"Draco, have you found anything new?" she asked, still not looking up from her book.

"Actually, now that you mention it, I did find an interesting passage about a silver hand mirror belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw. From there I was able to trace its journey up until the year nineteen fifty-five."

They all stopped, food halfway to mouths. Hermione actually looked up from her notes.

"You did? Seriously?"

"Yes. I found the reference a few days ago, but this morning a book on wizarding lineage helped track it down."

"So it just slipped your mind?" Harry asked, completely dumbfounded. How could Draco just forget to mention something that he'd been researching for months?

"Well, I found it, but didn't want to say until I was sure. Then, this morning I was reading upstairs and found what I needed, but then you decided to go flying. Let's face it; she wouldn't have let us go out if I had said it then. She would have dragged all of us into the library and we wouldn't have seen a broom for another six months. So I figured a couple more hours of keeping the information to myself couldn't hurt. Besides that, I knew my meal was going to be interrupted by boring research again and I wanted it to mean something this time."

He finished by taking a large bite of his sandwich while the others stared at him. Harry was the first to start laughing, followed by Ron, who seemed to have a new appreciation for Malfoy. Of course Hermione didn't find it at all funny and she sat with her arms crossed, glaring at the boys while the laughing faded.

"I don't suppose that there are any clues as to what happened to it?"

"The Quail family last had the mirror. They acquired it sometime last century and it was last seen by any outsiders when they volunteered to put it on display at the Ministry as part of an international celebration of the history of the wizarding world. The mirror went back to the Quails after the exhibit. However, when the last of the family died in nineteen sixty-three, under rather mysterious circumstances, the mirror wasn't found in the home. It was assumed by Ministry officials that Mr. Quail, being an eccentric man, had hidden it somewhere for safe-keeping."

"Sounds like Voldemort to me," said Harry.

"Did the book say what was special about the mirror?"

"It was made by Ravenclaw. It's rumored to be all-knowing. You can ask it anything and it will give the correct answer. Its power has been exaggerated over the years. The way some people described it, it can almost think and reason for itself. Although I really think that part is just legend."

"More than likely. Well boys, all the more reason to have that talk today." She got up with her notes and retreated for the library. "I'll be waiting when you're ready."

As soon as the door had shut behind her Harry started laughing again.

"You knew the whole time? All morning and you didn't say anything?"

"Of course."

"I guess it does pay to know Slytherins, huh?" said Ron. "You're right. We never would have made it out of the house if she had known."

"You're brilliant, you know that?"

Draco smiled back at him and Harry had the sudden urge to snog him senseless right there in the kitchen. But he knew that the chances were high that Ron would have heart failure and he resisted.

"Thank you gentlemen, now I ask that I take my leave. I don't envy you one bit being stuck in there with her today."

And with that, and a secret signal to Harry, he left.

"He's right. She's going to be impossible."

"Yeah," said Harry, "but it was worth it."

Hermione was unusually terse with them for the whole first part of their meeting as they discussed Harry's progress with Occlumency and last conversation Harry had with Remus in which they discussed the dangers of the leaks in the Ministry.

"_Basically, Tonks thinks that the Ministry will fall soon," Remus had said. "They took care of the original leaks, but it's too hard to tell who to trust with the Imperius curse. It's just like last time."_

"_Do you think that Voldemort will take over the Ministry?"_

"_It's hard to say. He doesn't need to, really. The Order believes that he has control of enough of the Auror Department, that we're helpless already if he wanted to do anything big. If he does take complete control of them, that means more trouble for you four."_

"_We'll take care of ourselves."_

"_Harry, he could know you're at Godric's Hallow already. With the amount of protection you have around the place I'd be surprised if he isn't having you watched, even though he knows he can't get in."_

"_Do you think we should move?"_

"_No. Your mother's protection is there. It's the only place that is safe for you, but... Even that may not be enough if they take the Ministry."_

_Harry nodded his understanding._

"_There's something else you should know. Some of the Order saw the Malfoy boy at my place. Now the Minister knows and he's asking questions. He's been badgering Tonks for your location for weeks, but she doesn't know anyway. They want to question the boy about Snape and the night Dumbledore died. They say that's all."_

"_And then they chuck him in prison just like they did with Stan Shunpike. No. Sorry, but the Minister isn't getting him."_

_Remus had considered him for a few moments. "You can't keep him forever, Harry. When this is all over the Ministry will need to question him."_

"_You say it like I'm keeping a pet!"_

"_I know you've become... friends with him, but he has to face up to his parts in all of this eventually. No matter how much you may care, you can't hide him forever."_

Of course Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione about the last part of the conversation. He hadn't told Draco either. They knew the Minister was looking for him and that was it. And when Mrs. Weasley found out, letters began coming three times a day in an attempt to get answers out of them. The rest of it Harry was having a hard time even thinking about. What would happen to Draco when the war was over? Would Harry be able to keep him out of the Ministry's clutches?

"Harry? Did you hear me?"

He didn't. He'd been lost in his own thoughts for several minutes and had no idea what subject they had moved on to.

"Harry, I said I think we do have to consider that perhaps not all of the Horcruxes are here in Britain," said Hermione.

So she was finally willing to consider the idea more seriously. The more Harry thought about it the more he had decided that they were out of other options.

"I know. I've been hoping Dumbledore was wrong too."

"We know he visited there before the first war and I found more on the dark rituals that take place there every year."

"Did Dumbledore's notes say any more?" asked Ron.

"His diaries mention talk of Death Eaters in Romania before their rise to power. It would be near the mountains. There are several wizarding communities there. Draco may know something about it, being from a Dark family and everything. I think we should get his opinion. He may have even been there. I've read a lot about the Dark festivals they have. If his family has attended he may know his way around. Of course I think we will have to explain exactly what we're looking for…"

"Are you saying we should bring him in on this now?"

"Absolutely not-"

"Shush Ron. You trust him, don't you, Harry?"

"With my life," he answered, without hesitation.

"Then perhaps it's time we did."

"'Mione…"

"Ron, the 'Malfoy is a Death Eater' line is getting old. We're all on the same side here. If being nearly killed by your father isn't enough to prove loyalty, I don't know what is. Not to mention what he did for Harry when he was burned by the dragon. And don't pretend like you didn't thoroughly enjoy flying with him this morning."

"Fine. You better go get him, Harry."

Draco was, as Harry predicted, sitting on his bed reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_. They had planned on meeting in his room after their meeting so Draco smiled when the door opened.

"Are you done already?"

"Not exactly. We want you to come down to the library."

"But I thought you were discussing…" He trailed off when Harry nodded.

"We want your input, advice and any information you have. You've earned a right to know the whole story."

"The _whole_… Whose idea was this?"

"Hermione's. And Ron has agreed. They just finally see what I've known for some time."

Ron remained silent while Hermione explained Horcruxes and Harry clarified things, such as the events of the night Dumbledore died. When they were done Draco appeared in shock.

"You figured all this out?"

"Dumbledore did; we just added to it."

"So there's three left? Him, his snake, and something of Ravenclaw's?"

"Well after the bit you found about her mirror, we think that may be it. It hasn't been seen for over forty years. And if Quail died in the sixties, that puts it right around the time Voldemort would have been creating Horcruxes."

"Where is it?"

"That's what we would like help with," said Harry.

"We wondered if you know of any significant wizarding establishments in Romania. We know that the country has been important to him over the years."

"A trip to Knockturn Alley would have gotten you all the information that I have. You didn't have to tell me."

Ron made a grunting noise, but Draco ignored it. He was eyeing Hermione curiously. She met his gaze without blinking.

"You're our Dark Arts expert and I thought perhaps your father had mentioned it at some point."

Draco nodded his understanding. Although he had suspected that she actually trusted him for some time, she was finally accepting him as one of them.

"I don't know a whole lot. Lucius didn't speak of specifics about the Dar—V-Voldemort. He went to Romania often though. Mostly before I was born. Mother hated it. Too primitive. Not in the cities, of course, but the areas in the mountains, where the rituals take place... Wizards in those parts have separated themselves from the modern culture around them. Here, the wizards seem a bit removed, but we're refined, there… well, it's like they're living in the Dark Ages still. All sorts of magical creatures live there. There are the dragon colonies on the edge of the mountains. Once you get further into them though it gets dangerous. Father told of places where the sunlight never touches. Entire colonies of Vampires. Giants. Werewolves.

"The Carpathian Mountains are said to hold many secrets to the Dark Arts. Particularly the section known as the Transylvanian Alps. Even muggles associate the name Transylvania with magic and Dark creatures. Hundreds of Dark wizards go there every year to gain power they can't find other places.

"I've heard that Muggles have taken a liking to the story of Dracula and travel to see the castle and surrounding areas. There's a reason the story became a legend; it's true. Well, Bram Stoker's novel is fiction, but if you take the vampire idea and combine the actual muggle historical accounts, you get something near the truth. Vlad Dracula was actually a Dark wizard who was turned into a vampire. Therefore, his land became a haven for all sorts of Dark creatures. The Dark Arts flourished there more than in any other part of the world because its ruler not only allowed it, but practiced it himself. There are villages of Dark Wizards all along the Carpathians, so many that I certainly don't know them all. I know there is a fairly large community in Brasov and Sibiu, much like Diagon Alley. They're both in the mountains and Sibiu is near Mt. Moldoveanu, the highest mountain in the country, where they hold festivals on all the pagan holidays. It would be your best bet. Lucius used to say that wizards go up the mountain at certain times of the year to gain certain powers."

"You've been there?"

"I didn't go to any of the rituals, but I've been to the country, yes. I hope that helps."

"That helps immensely," said Hermione. "Everything you've told us would have taken ages to look up. We know where to begin now. Or at least a couple options. And Ron, isn't Charley's dragon colony near Sibiu? Perhaps we can stay with him."

Ron nodded. "Let me know when and I can write to him."

Hermione smiled. "Just think, if we get this piece, we can go after Voldemort in body."

"And the snake," Ron reminded them.

"That's the tricky part," said Harry. "I think we've avoided talking about it so far because it's a little intimidating. We have to be really careful. If we just go after Nagini, he's going to think that's suspicious and realize that we know. If he knows it will make it harder to kill her and he may make more Horcruxes before we can kill him. We have to somehow hide the fact that she's dead, or make it look like some sort of accident…maybe she could die attacking someone. It wouldn't look intentional if she was killed in self defense. We can't just go and destroy her like the others. On the other hand, she's easy to find. If we know where Voldemort is, that's where we'll find the snake."

No one spoke for a few moments. Draco caught Harry's eye and Harry could see a hint of sadness and pain in them. He gave a questioning look back and Draco answered aloud.

"You just have to survive whatever is protecting the Ravenclaw Horcrux."

Harry's heart skipped. Draco was worried about losing him. It wasn't said in an obvious way, but there was an unspoken understanding between them. Hermione finally spoke to remind them that they weren't the only people in the room. It was getting late and it was time for dinner. After Draco excused himself to his room Harry tried to leave, presumably to check on Hedwig, but Hermione stopped him.

"When are you going to tell us about you and Malfoy?"

"What?"

"Harry, don't insult our intelligence. We know. I suspected before his injury, but since then it's been obvious."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because you didn't. I figured you liked having a secret for once. Something that couldn't be found out by reading a magical history book. So I let you keep it, but I think it's time. We can't just play dumb anymore. I know we all gave up on keeping him prisoner long ago, but in order for us all to see each other as equals I think that some things need to be out in the open. We've never had secrets between us before, and now is not a good time to start." She bit her lip and looked at Harry sadly. "And I didn't like the thought that maybe you were keeping it a secret because you were afraid we would disapprove."

"Don't you?"

She sighed and took her time wording her answer. "I can't say that I completely like the idea. But I think that feeling comes from all those years of being called a mudblood and seeing him as the enemy. I know he's not the enemy anymore. I've known that since he saved your life. All I can say is that if you care about him, then how can I truly disapprove?"

Harry looked to Ron wondering if he agreed. He scowled, but nodded.

"I feel the same. She's just better at saying it."

"You don't care that I like boys?"

Ron scrunched up his face. "I don't like him, you know. And I'm still not sure how I should feel about what you did to Ginny. But... as long as I don't have to hear about Malfoy in bed, then I'm still with you. I've always been here with you since the beginning and I'm not going back on that promise. Just don't... Er... You won't snog him around us, will you?"

When Harry opened the door to Draco's room the blonde was sitting on the bed, _Quidditch Through the Ages_ was open in his lap and he was pretending very hard to read it. Wordlessly, Harry sat next to him and began rubbing his back. At this point Draco couldn't pretend any longer. He closed the book and tossed it to the floor.

"I think I wish you hadn't told me. It's actually worse than what I was imagining."

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He was scared of what he had to do. He was scared of losing Draco.

"Hey, I'm durable. It'll be ok."

"It's Voldemort, Harry. How do you know you can beat him?"

"I don't. But I've survived him about a million times already, so if nothing else I have a mental advantage."

Draco managed a smile and kissed Harry briefly on the lips.

"At the risk of sounding like a Hufflepuff... I don't want to lose you. Merlin knows I don't deserve you, but I can't lose you."

Harry cupped Draco's face in his hands. "I'm not going anywhere. C'mon. Let's pretend like this war doesn't exist. We'll pretend that I'm just a normal bloke with no scar on my forehead and you're my very sexy boyfriend. And we'll fuck all night as if there's no Dark Lord trying to kill us. There's no such thing as Death Eaters. And when we wake up tomorrow, the only thing we'll have to think about is having sex all day."

"Oh Merlin, we're both a couple of Hufflepuffs," Draco laughed, "but I wish that it were true."

"It can be true tonight."

They kissed and touched and Draco gently pushed Harry fully onto the bed, straddling him and taking off his own t-shirt. Harry reached up to caress Draco's chest and then worked on unbuckling his belt. Draco bent closer to kiss Harry's face and neck, and then shifted, reaching his hand down to grab Harry's hard...

"Harry! Draco! Come downstairs for dinner!"

Draco stopped immediately and his head dropped in defeat against Harry's chest. "Fuck. I forgot all about food."

"I have that affect on people," joked Harry. "Let's stay here. We can tell them we're not hungry."

"Both of us aren't? You know they'll come looking for you to see what's wrong. What are you going to say when Weasley walks in to find your cock in my mouth?"

"I'll say that I already had mine and you're just finishing up." Draco gave him "the look." "Actually, I have to tell you about that. They know. They confronted me after you left the library and I confessed. That's why I took so long."

"How did they take it?"

"Better than I thought. They didn't even try to talk me out of it. Not that it would have worked anyway."

"Maybe we should go to dinner then. It will be our first meal where we can sit as close as we want. And it will be payback time for the two of them making me lose my lunch with all their indecent snogging."

"Harry! Draco! We're going to eat without you!"

"We're coming!" Harry shouted back in the direction of the door.

"Not yet, Mr. Potter. But I promise we will later." Draco smirked and got off the bed.


	18. A Nice Place for a Holiday

**Chapter 18 - A Nice Place for a Holiday**

Traveling to another country wasn't as easy as Harry thought it would be. As wizards, he figured it would be much simpler than muggle travel, but as it turned out, they may as well have taken a plane. There were portkeys and portkey permits, apparition, floo powder, and "The Magic Carpet," which was similar to the Knight Bus, but flew internationally. All of this was made even more complicated by the fact that they were traveling with a fugitive. It was too far to apparate all the way. And the Floo Network didn't go outside of England. Other countries had their own network like the Floo, but they were only connected at official travel stations. Portkeys were illegal and hard to create for anyone outside of the Department of Magical Transportation. And if they took a legal method, they would all have to have wizarding I.D.'s and their travel would be trackable. A most unpleasant idea with so many of Voldemort's spies in the Ministry.

In the end, they convinced Tonks to create a portkey for them so that they could travel in secret. Once they were there, they would find another way home, since it wouldn't matter as much if they were tracked at that point. The portkey was illegal, and if the Ministry found out she would surely lose her job, but with all the other madness at the Ministry, she decided that she didn't care.

They all met at Godric's Hollow at ten in the morning on the first Monday of May.

"Nice place. Oh! Damn. Oops" Tonks stumbled into the library, bumping a table and knocking over several books. "Sorry about that. At least there's no portrait of my charming great-aunt to wake up. We should have used this for headquarters. Sure beats Grimmauld Place. And the Burrow is great, but it does get a little crowded when we're all there."

Harry, Ron and Hermione laughed at her clumsiness, but Draco was seated in his favorite chair with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised at the strange newcomer. Her hair was blue today.

"Ah, and this must be my darling cousin," she said, as if feeling Draco's eyes on her. "Although you look more like your father than my aunt."

"That's right, you are cousins aren't you?" Harry had quite forgotten that connection. "Haven't you ever met?"

"I've seen him around in passing," said Tonks, "but seeing as my mother was disowned for marrying a muggleborn no, we haven't met."

"Well, then, Draco Malfoy, may I introduce Nymphadora Tonks? Tonks, Draco."

"Hi," Draco said awkwardly.

"Is that it?"

Draco stood up and gave Harry an irritated look. "What do you want me to do, Harry? Run up and give her a hug? All I know about her is that she's a half-blood. My mother would never talk about her. Aunt Bella brought it up once and Mother nearly hexed her."

"It's okay. You're on our side now, right?"

Draco blinked, realizing that he did, in fact, have family on Harry's side. "Uh . . . right."

"Well then welcome to the family." She bounded over to him and hugged him tightly.

He looked at Harry helplessly over her shoulder, but finally gave in and returned the embrace.

"I hate to be the one to say it, but that portkey is going to activate in a few minutes," said Remus.

Tonks pulled away from Draco and nodded.

"Thanks for doing this," said Harry.

She smiled and ruffled his hair. "If I get fired for this I'm going to come live with you here. So you'd better have an extra room."

"No problem."

"And Charlie is waiting for you?" asked Remus.

"Yes. We'll stay with him tonight and then do what we need."

They had one hell of a difficult time explaining to him in an owl who their fourth companion was, but in the end he agreed to help them anyway.

"Everyone has their things?" asked Hermione. "Invisibility cloak, Harry?"

"Yes, mother."

"Clothes? Wands? Fake I.D.'s? Did you two remember to let Hedwig and Pig out?"

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"You worry too much," said Harry.

"You sound like my mum."

"Ronald," she warned.

"Now you _really_ sound like my mum."

"Okay, it's going to activate in twenty seconds."

"Hold on. Are you holding it, Ron?"

"Yes! If you're like this the whole trip we're leaving you there!"

"Be careful," said Remus. "Owl if you need anything."

"We will."

"Ten seconds."

"Weasley, stop stepping on my foot."

"Stop breathing on me, Malfoy."

"Boys, stop."

"Five seconds."

"I'm not kidding. Your breath stinks."

"My breath certainly does not smell bad. If you smell something fowl you should try showering more regularly."

"Boys!"

Just as Hermione was about to scold them, Harry felt the tugging behind his navel and they were pulled away from Godric's Hollow. It seemed to take forever, but it was the farthest Harry had ever traveled by portkey. Just when he thought that he may actually vomit, they landed hard on a wood floor. He tried to move, but there was a big lump on him.

"Draco, get off me."

"Well that's not something you hear every day," the blond smirked.

"Well, seeing as Ron is under me, I think it would only be appropriate."

"Excellent point."

"Get a room you guys." Ron was trying to get off the floor. "Hermione?"

"Right here."

"How did you land like that?"

"If you three ever read a useful book, you would know the proper way to land from a portkey. Hello Charlie!"

Charlie Weasley was coming toward them across the large room and smiling. "Trip okay?"

"Oh yeah, it was fabulous. Never known a better time." Draco was fussing with his wrinkled clothes and brushing off imaginary dust.

"You can ignore him," said Hermione. "He's a bit cranky when he's himself."

Once Ron had picked himself off the floor he gave his brother a hug and looked around.

"Where are we?"

"This is the research compound I work at. This is the apparition point actually, but I figured it was the best place for you to arrive. Plenty of room and no one hardly ever comes in here in the middle of the day. I'll show you around. My flat is across the compound anyway."

They headed outside and Harry was amazed by what he saw. He had always been told that Charlie studied dragons, but he had always pictured several wizards in tents sneaking up on the creatures in the wild. He wasn't expecting anything like what they saw. There were several buildings for research, experimentation, and an on-site infirmary for any accidents. In addition, there was a facility to also treat dragons that may be injured. Poaching had become a real problem in the country. Many people wanted the hide or blood of the dragons without paying so much at a shop and it was illegal for nonprofessionals to hunt them at all because of the dangers involved. Charlie's facility took care of those that had been injured or orphaned due to hunters.

"That area over there is for the Welsh Greens. We've got a few of them." Charlie pointed to a point beyond the research buildings. "But here's the Hungarian Horntails. You ought to recognize that one, Harry. She's the one we took to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Ah, and there are her children. Harry? Where'd you go?"

They looked around, but Harry had fallen back and was now twenty feet or so behind. Ron was the only one who hadn't noticed, as he was going up to the perimeter fence for a closer look.

"Harry, you gotta come see these!"

"Very nice, Ron. I'm fine here though."

Draco ran back toward Harry looking worried. "Are you afraid to get close? We're out of range here, you know."

"I know. Maybe a little scared," Harry admitted sheepishly. "Stupid, isn't it?"

"You're rarely afraid of anything else. I think you're allowed to be scared of something that almost killed you."

"I guess I do have to see Norberta while I'm here. Hagrid would never forgive me."

Draco made a funny face and Harry walked back toward the fence, explaining who Norberta was. Charlie had most of the day off work, but spent it showing them the dragons and facilities anyway. Hermione and Draco were particularly fascinated with the infirmary and potions lab. Ron just wanted to see more dragons up close. Finally, they made it back to Charlie's flat and settled in for dinner and quiet conversation.

"So you're going up the mountain?" Charlie asked.

"Not all the way. I don't think so anyway," said Harry.

"We hope not," supplied Draco.

"And there's still no way I can get you to tell me what the hell you're doing?"

"You sound like Remus," said Harry.

"You haven't told him either?"

"He's known about Draco for some time, but not the rest of it. It's better this way. Safer."

"You need to be very careful up there. You may not be recognized immediately the way you would back home, but there are still those here who are sympathetic to You-Know-Who. Too long wizards have mistreated werewolves and vampires, treating them more like animals than the people they are. The communities here have supported him because he will give them power they won't get from any wizarding government. If they find out who you are it could be dangerous."

"They won't. We'll be in disguise."

"Don't trust anyone. It's only a few days until the full moon and the wolf packs are getting restless. And the Vampires become more active too. They have their fun now so that they can let the packs have the moon to themselves. Don't linger anywhere. Particularly after dark. And don't split up. And stay away from muggles."

"Why?"

"Muggles are the easiest victims for them because they can't defend themselves. If you're with them, you'll be targeted. They used to limit muggle attacks in order to keep their community secret, but as the war has escalated at home, they've gotten braver about it. They believe that once You-Know-Who takes over our country he will work to spread his power across Europe. They are encouraged by his promises and so they have gotten careless in the muggle attacks."

"That's horrible!" said Hermione.

"It's realistic. It's not so bad here. Of course the compound is protected and there aren't many attacks in the city, but in the mountains it gets dangerous. There is Dark magic practiced there that most wizards have never even heard of. I wonder if you know what you're getting into."

"Probably not, but we have to go."

"You'll find that a lot of people around here know English because of the tourist business. I don't suppose any of you know Romanian?"

"I do," said Draco.

Harry was surprised. "You never told me that."

"And French, Latin, Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian and German. French and Latin are the only ones I'm actually fluent in. But I know enough Romanian to get around, I think."

"Good. You'll more than likely need it." Charlie turned to Ron then. "Mum is worried sick, you know. She's so sure you'll get killed. She goes on about that clock of hers and your hand pointing to 'mortal peril' every few days."

"We're all in mortal peril these days, aren't we? Maybe not you, but everyone back home. I know I could die. But sitting home and waiting for death isn't the way I want to go."

Charlie nodded. "Mum doesn't know you left the country, does she?"

"Only Remus and Tonks."

He nodded again. "How are your burns doing, Harry?"

"Great. Thanks to my doctor, here." He smiled at Draco.

"I thought Hermione fixed you up."

"No," she said. "Draco did all the real work. I was mostly his assistant."

"I don't see any scars on your hand. At Christmas I was sure some would remain."

"Up my arm further there is some." Harry pulled his sleeve up to show Charlie. "And down my side there's a lot of scarring. Most of it cleared up though."

Charlie examined the arm closely. "And you did this?" He looked straight at Draco, who nodded silently. "You ever think about being a healer?"

"No."

"Well you should. Not many wizards can take care of dragon burns this well. Especially with no formal healer training. We're always looking for burn specialists here. When all this is over, I'd be happy to endorse you if you wanted a job out here."

"That's . . . I don't know. I never thought I'd be a healer."

"Something to think about. After you lot have taken your N.E.W.T.s and all. I'm still curious where you came across a dragon in England."

"When this is all over you can read about it in Rita Skeeter's _Unofficial Biography of Harry Potter_."

"Somehow I don't see you letting that happen," laughed Charlie. "How about we sit down with a glass of firewhiskey when this is over and you tell me about it?"

The next day, the trio thanked Charlie and headed off to the base of Mt. Moldoveanu. Charlie was right about the kinds of people and creatures they met on the way. They had disguised themselves in the usual way, but were still terribly out of place among the locals. They had been getting strange looks ever since they left Charlie's place.

The first part of their journey led them into the wizarding community in Sibiu to get some supplies. Charlie had explained how to get there through an alley behind an old, unused building that used to be a theater, but now looked condemned. It was a part of town Harry would have felt unsafe in even if he didn't know there were Vampires around. The rest of the city seemed quite pleasant, but the closer they got to the wizarding community, the darker it became.

They headed straight for the apothecary so Hermione could stock up on some of the potions that Charlie had recommended for the kinds of things they may come across. The entire street looked like Knockturn Alley with the Dark Arts paraded proudly for everyone to see.

"Everything's Dark."

Draco nodded. "If Voldemort ever did take over, this is what it would be like at home, too."

"It's not all bad," said Hermione, much to the surprise of Harry and Ron. "Well, Dark magic isn't always bad. It's the intention behind it that makes it truly evil. I think it's important to have a good understanding of Dark Arts, not only to defend against them, but also to better understand magic in general. Am I right, Draco?"

He glanced to Harry, unsure of how his boyfriend would feel about his views on Dark magic.

"Well, counterjinxes and counterhexes were only created because people studied the original spell thoroughly. Many of the routine medical spells that we use today have their origins in the Dark Arts. It really depends on the person's reasons for studying it."

"Okay," said Harry. "Then why don't they teach us limited Dark Arts at school, rather than just Defense?"

"Because the school governors would never allow it," answered Draco. "And, most people who study it get carried away and don't know when to stop. They get into it, and then realize how much power they can gain by going further and that's when it becomes truly Dark. Dark magic is . . . well, it's addicting."

"Harry, remember you told me the feeling you had using the killing curse on the locket and cup," said Hermione. "You said then that you could feel the Dark magic. That's how other Dark spells are. I looked it up after you told me about it. People who use it feel that power and they do get addicted to it."

Harry nodded and continued walking. They passed a magical pet shop that had creatures Harry had never seen before. Ron suggested that Hagrid visit there someday. When they passed a bookstore Harry thought that they would all have to drag Hermione away.

"But it's probably got so many books that we can't get back in Diagon Alley. Or even Knockturn Alley."

"We didn't take a trip so you could be fascinated by other wizarding cultures," said Ron. "I promise when this is all over we can come back."

"Yes," drawled Draco. "Because this is such a lovely place to go on holiday."

Once they had everything they needed they started out for the base of the mountain. There was a village there and an inn where they could stay so they didn't have to camp on the mountain itself. Hermione managed to find a local woman who was very helpful in telling them about the rituals on the mountains. Although there was nothing important going on currently, many tourists visited there all year long and the woman was used to giving directions and information. Then, hoping for anything more, Hermione asked what they really needed.

"Do you know anything about . . . Death Eaters?"

The woman's polite smile slid off her face. "What do you want?"

"Just if you know anything about a group from Britain calling themselves Death Eaters. We're looking for information about what they might have been doing here years ago."

She looked around, suddenly afraid of being seen with them and whispered her reply. "Their leader was here. Up there." She gestured toward the mountain.

"Do you know what they did up there? What were they looking for? Did they stay long?"

"We don't talk about them. There is one up there who could tell you more than me. Now go." She turned around and went back in her little shack of a house.

"Well, at least we know Voldemort was actually here. Whether he hid it here or not, is another matter."

"If we're going to find anything, it's going to be up there."

They started their hike up the mountain. It seemed to be a busy place. They were passing other witches and wizards all the time and, although there were no more villages, there were groups of huts off the main trail. Some hags sat out in front of one next to a large cauldron and Harry was strongly reminded of muggle Halloween images. That's how they pictured all witches, but he had never seen such a thing in the real wizarding world.

They passed ritual sites and alters, but none of them held any clues to what they needed. Despite the lack of findings, Harry felt more and more sure that this was where they were supposed to be. Around noon they stopped for some of the lunch Hermione had brought. They had taken seats just off the path and were getting more strange looks from some of the passersby.

"I don't like this at all," said Hermione.

"Well, we didn't come here to enjoy ourselves."

"What if that woman told someone we were asking around?"

"We'd probably be dead already if she did," said Draco.

"You're such a help."

"Well really we're quite exposed right now. If someone was going to attack us, it would have happened."

It didn't really do anything for everyone's fears, but there wasn't really any other option than to continue on.

Shortly after lunch they came to a clearing which held one small purple tent with close to a hundred people huddled around it. There were no signs or anything to indicate what they were doing here. Nobody stood near the tent opening. Harry glanced back at the others, who shrugged and he approached a man in bright green robes standing nearby.

"Excuse me, sir? You speak English?"

Harry was surprised to hear a thick German accent reply in the affirmative.

"What is everyone doing around this tent?"

"This is the great Seer, Danica. People come from all over to hear her predictions. We are all waiting for her to choose us."

"Choose you? There's no line?"

"No. She comes out and picks who will see her next. People have waited for days without getting an audience with her. She picks who the Fates tell her to."

Harry thanked the man for his information and motioned to Draco, Ron and Hermione away from the crowd so they could talk in private.

"What do you think?"

"You can't actually want to waste our time on a fortune teller," said Hermione.

"Possibly," he scowled. "I just feel very strongly that we should be here."

"Harry, it's so . . . Trelawny."

"Regardless of your views on Divination, even Trelawny gets one right every now and then."

"Every thirteen years or so," she shot back.

"All the same," said Draco, "real Seers do exist."

"You heard the man; people wait for days without talking to her and I'm not sitting outside some tent for the next month just so you boys can satisfy your curiosity."

Whatever Ron was about to say was cut off by an abrupt change in the crowd. Harry looked up to the tent to see a man and a woman, both dressed in shaggy robes, emerge. The man seemed to be holding the woman up as she sobbed into a handkerchief. Some of the people in the crowd who had been sitting stood in hopes of getting the Seer's attention. For several moments all that could be heard were the woman's sobs, but then some of the crowd began calling as the tent flap was pulled back once more and a woman in deep purple robes came out. Her head was bowed forward slightly and her eyes were shut. She emerged fully from the tent. The people around Harry were all yelling, pleading with her to take them next, but nobody moved forward. Suddenly she held her hands up and the noise dropped immediately. She raised her head and began to open her eyes. When they opened fully, they were looking directly at Harry. She didn't speak or even gesture, but Harry felt words in her piercing gaze that seemed almost audible. She was choosing him.

The people in front of him must have felt the same telepathic message because they parted to allow him through. Nobody protested, even the ones who had waited there for days let them pass with only some dirty looks.

Danica's eyes didn't leave Harry and he stopped just a few feet from her. Up close he could see that she appeared quite young. She had long, black hair that was the complete opposite of her snow white skin. Some of the hair had been braided, while most hung free down to her waist. Her eyes were an unnatural black and they bored into Harry unlike anything he had ever experienced. He knew that behind him Ron, Hermione, and Draco were all ready to grab their wands should it become necessary, but he also knew that it wouldn't be. This was where he was supposed to be. He could feel it in her gaze.

"Welcome, Chosen One."


	19. The Seer of Mt Moldoveanu

**Chapter 19 - The Seer of Mt. Moldoveanu**

"You know me?" Harry asked the Seer.

"I See you. There is a difference. Come."

With that, she turned and went back into the tent. Harry looked back to the others. Even Draco seemed unnerved by Danica's knowledge of the Chosen One. They all knew how dangerous it could be if anyone knew who they were. They followed her through the tent flap.

Just like at the Quidditch World Cup, the tent was much larger on the inside than it appeared and Harry wondered why that hadn't occurred to him. After living in the magical world for nearly seven years he still expected to be crammed into the tent which looked from the outside to only hold a couple people.

Danica had already taken a seat behind a table in the front room. On a stand to her left sat a crystal ball and some tarot cards.

"Please be seated." She spoke to the group, but her eyes were again locked on Harry.

Once they all had a chair Hermione began to say something about what they wanted to know, but the Seer cut her off.

"I know why you have come, young scholar." Her eyes never left Harry as she spoke. "My name is Danica. I am the product of a long line of Seers. I know all of you are skeptical of my kind of magic, for many are. You are most doubtful though, aren't you?" She finally turned her head to look at Hermione. "You don't trust anything or anyone unless it is backed up by a text book. But, my dear, be warned; there is no book that can lead you through this chapter of your life. Or the next. It would be best to put them aside and rely on your instincts."

Hermione seemed surprised and maybe a little offended. She didn't like it when anyone knew more than she did. Danica's eyes slid to Ron next, and the smallest of smiles graced her lips, although Harry thought that her eyes looked sad.

"You have a fierce loyalty to your loved ones. You will do anything for your friends and one day soon they will need your love. Do not hesitate to follow your heart, for that will make all the difference at the end."

She shifted in her seat a bit to look at Draco and she took several long seconds to drink him in.

"You were not always on the path that I See for you now. You are proud, but fearful. You fear your own fear, I think. Your heart has the strength to bring you through this and end your journey, but you wonder if you have the courage to let it."

She leaned forward and whispered something into Draco's ear and he appeared surprised. Harry tried to catch his eye, but Draco stared straight ahead, avoiding his gaze. Danica pulled away from Draco with a mischievous smile, but turned serious again when she locked eyes with Harry. He felt that same exposure again, as if she could read his very thoughts. She wasn't using Legilimency, he knew that. There was no defense or escape.

"Hate and love. In an otherwise pure heart I See both of these. They are the most powerful of emotions. Both very helpful. Both very deadly. But you know this already. You want revenge on the one who hurt you and your loved ones, but you also want to protect those closest to you. You cannot do both. There will be more losses before it is over, but that is the price we pay for justice."

"Is it really justice if innocent people die because of it?" asked Harry.

"Innocent people will die regardless. The only thing that ever changes is which ones." Harry nodded and she continued. "Do not think it was by accident that you are here. Fate has led you to me, Chosen One."

"How much do you know about me?"

"I See only what I must. What Fate allows. But I have expected your visit for some time."

"Why?"

"Long ago I Saw you, though I did not know when you would arrive. But I Saw your journey and your quest even then. You seek to destroy the one with the Devil's Soul."

"Devil's Soul? Like _the_ Devil? Satan? Lucifer?"

She smiled. "You read too much muggle mythology. The Devil's Soul is a cracked soul. One that has never known love or compassion. One that has been purposely mutilated by murder and magic."

"We knew the state of his soul already," huffed Hermione. "We're looking for the way to kill him."

"You already know how to kill him, young scholar. What you seek is location."

"How do you know that he has a broken soul?" asked Draco.

"I have Seen it. Twice. Long ago when it was not as broken, he came here looking for the future. And I gave it to him. Years later I saw a thinner version pass through me."

"Pass through you?" asked Harry.

"The soul was all that was left and he was hoping to possess a strong host. But I did not have what he wanted. He came to me looking for resurrection, but I cannot be made a servant to other wizards. Fate alone controls my destiny."

Harry turned to Hermione and Ron. "That must have been after he lost his powers and tried possessing people in order to stay alive. That must be how Dumbledore knew that he had been here." He looked back to Danica. "What did you mean you gave him the future?"

"He was looking for power and immortality. I sent him up the mountain in search of both."

She reached out to the table on her left and removed the crystal ball, placing it in front of them. Suddenly a scene began to play in it, just like a pensieve. There sat Tom Riddle in that very same tent. He was quite young still. From the looks of him Harry guessed that it was sometime shortly after leaving Borgin and Burkes. Danica hadn't changed much after so many years. It was unnatural how young she still looked.

"_You want to know if you'll be an all-powerful Dark Lord," Danica stated, piercing Lord Voldemort with her gaze._

"_I will be." Confident, cocky. And yet he must have been there because part of him was still unsure._

_She raised an eyebrow. "Many fear you, and many more shall," she confirmed. Then she looked him over casually, as if about to comment on the style of robes. "Your soul is different than most."_

_He breathed faster and licked his lips, wondering if she knew what he had done. "I have found the keys to immortality."_

"_No one can truly live forever. The right person can reverse it."_

"_I let no one near enough to know the truth."_

"_Yet the truth will be uncovered. There is still magic that you do not know."_

"_What is it? I'll learn it and will be the most powerful wizard in the world!"_

"_It cannot be taught by me and only learned if the pupil is willing."_

"_I am willing!" he growled, his eyes glinting red briefly._

_She seemed unconcerned by his aggressiveness. "Go up the mountain at the new moon. If you truly are willing, you may find it there. But I See you. You shall be undone by what you do not understand."_

"_No man can beat me."_

_She leaned back in her chair and smiled at his arrogance. "One you count as an ally shall bring about your defeat in the end because he will have understanding of that which you do not."_

"_Who is it?"_

"_That I cannot See. For if I did you would merely kill the man and never learn the lesson yourself."_

"_I'm not here to learn lessons from you, but to know my future!"_

"_For better or worse, your future lies on the mountain."_

The scene ended and Draco was the first to ask what they were all thinking.

"What is up the mountain?"

"Power. Magic. The key to unlocking the mysteries of the world, if one was so inclined. But it is dangerous. Weak wizards die in their attempt at greatness. Great wizards are overcome by the power and try to take in more of it than they can handle. And wizards who are truly worthy," she looked straight at Harry, "have no desire to possess such power. When he came down from the mountain his appearance had changed and so had his magic. But his soul remained the same. Broken."

"What did he learn up there?" asked Harry.

"Dark Magic. Far Darker than any others. Blood magic that is unknown by most. It is how he regained his body later. He considers himself fortunate that he went up there, but ultimately, he failed the lesson."

"What was he supposed to find?"

She merely smiled at him and Harry knew that she wouldn't give him the answer. Instead she changed the subject. "You seek an object hidden for many years. It is what brought you to me and I shall give you that answer. The one you wish to destroy has hidden it within his home."

"His home?" said Hermione. "But where-?"

"I told you I can only See what I need to. There are sometimes reasons why I do not know details."

"But it can't be–."

"Young scholar, I have Seen this and now you have the knowledge you need so your trip has not been in vain. The Chosen One knows his enemy and is like him in more ways than known. He will find the truth."

"One more thing," said Harry. "The ally that would betray him. Has this happened already, or is it yet to come?"

He glanced at Hermione, knowing they were both thinking of Regulus Black and Snape.

"It is yet to come. Trust him, for he has done more to protect you than you know."

They thanked Danica for her time and went back outside where it had begun to rain. After apparating back to the village they checked into a hotel and then all took dinner in Harry and Draco's room. It was still a while before any of them spoke.

"Do you think she was telling the truth?" Ron was directing the question at Harry.

"She was for real, Ron. I know that much. I may have learned all I know about Divination from a fake, but I know she was real. I could feel it."

"I felt like she could see right through me," said Hermione with a shiver.

Harry and Draco nodded in agreement.

"But did she know what we're doing? She could have told you wrong just to protect Voldemort."

"I don't think so, Ron. As unnerving as the whole experience was, she felt right to me. I think she was telling the truth. And it makes sense; Voldemort was already powerful, but then he went up the mountain and gained more power in his quest to be immortal."

"What was the power he was supposed to learn?"

"Love, I would guess. Or some form of it. She knew that he would never choose to change, but she gave him a fair chance anyway. Instead of choosing to repent, he took the Dark power, thinking that more power meant that he couldn't be defeated. He completely ignored her warnings about betrayal because he believed he had all the magic he could ever need."

"Overconfidence," said Hermione. "His pride is to our advantage."

"Next question is, where is his home?" said Draco.

"It wouldn't be at the Gaunt house," she reasoned. "Dumbledore already found the ring there. Voldemort wouldn't have hid two in the same place, would he? That would be unwise. And the orphanage has already been checked. That's where he grew up; he didn't have a family home."

"What if he does consider Romania his home because this is where he got to be so powerful?"

"That would be great," said Draco. "We're here and still no closer to finding it. No, I have to think that if it had been here in the country we would have gotten more detail from her. She said his home like it should be obvious."

"The Riddle house?" offered Ron.

"No. It's a muggle house. He wouldn't want it anywhere near his father's family... and it's too close to the Gaunt house."

"It might be worth looking. We're running out of options." said Draco.

"True. The only other thing I can think of is his current location. He may consider that home. Of course we don't know where he's staying and I don't even want to think about the logistics of it with all the Death Eaters around him."

Ron's brow was furrowed in thought. "But that would mean that the last Horcrux, Nagini, and Voldemort himself are all in the same location."

"Well, that leaves us with the Riddle house," said Hermione in defeat. "Or possibly rechecking the orphanage."

Draco had been watching Harry through the last bit of conversation. The brunette had been deep in thought, ignoring his friends, and Draco suddenly remembered something Danica had said.

"The Chosen One knows." Harry looked up suddenly to meet Draco's eyes. "What did she mean that you are like him?"

"Besides the obvious mental connection and parsletongue, Voldemort and I are both orphans. We both were raised by people who cared for us out of obligation only."

"How does that help us?"

"I know what he calls home, but it makes our job much more difficult and means Dumbledore underestimated Voldemort drastically."

Hermione gasped in realization, but she was the only one.

"I never called any place home until my first year of Hogwarts. Tom Riddle was the same. If it's in his home, then it's in the school. Somewhere."

"Somewhere?" cried Ron. "Do you realize how big that school is? There's magic protecting it that goes back centuries. We don't even know where to start!"

"I know."

"That's a scary thought," said Hermione. "Voldemort somehow got through the wards and stuck around undetected long enough to hide a Horcrux? All this under Dumbledore's nose?"

"I did it, and I don't have a fraction of the power he does," said Draco. "Of course I did it in a rather unconventional way, so that was on my side. But the Dark Lord? He can do it his own way."

"How about when he came to see Dumbledore about the teaching post? He could have done it then."

"Maybe," said Harry. "But he has knowledge of the castle that most don't. He must have explored thoroughly when looking for the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

"It wouldn't be in the Chamber, would it?"

"I doubt it. The Chamber is already connected to another Horcrux; the diary. But there are many other tunnels under there. Most of them were for the basilisk, but there were some that were smaller, that the snake wouldn't have fit through, but a man might. They may lead to other chambers. However, I think I know where to start, and we have the perfect guide for it."

He looked to Draco who was surprised.

"Slytherin House was his true home. He's descended from Salazar himself, so it's the one place he finally fit in. Who better to show us around the dungeons than one who lived there for six years?"

"There are secret rooms down there. They say one of them is where he started the Death Eaters when he was still at school. But it's been used since then, so I doubt he would have hidden it there where others could stumble across it."

"We'll just have to go down there and check."

That night Draco remained silent the whole time they were getting ready for bed and it was starting to worry Harry. He settled down into his bed and watched Draco undress. The blonde's eyebrows were furrowed in thought and his eyes looked as if he was having some sort of internal debate.

"What are you thinking?"

"Huh? Oh, just about today. The Seer."

"She must have shaken you a bit. You've been a bit quiet all evening. There wasn't even one snarky remark during dinner."

"I must be slipping if an entire meal can go by without telling Weasley that he eats like a farm animal." Draco smiled, put out the light next to the bed, threw back the covers and climbed in next to Harry. "She must have gotten to you, too. What with the prediction about the deaths."

"I know people will die, Draco. I'm not unrealistic. I know I can't save them all."

"The whole experience was a little unnerving though. You know, the way she looks at you like she's reading your mind."

"What did she whisper to you?"

For a moment Harry thought he would refuse to answer, but then Draco took breath and began in a very quiet voice.

"She said that I shouldn't be afraid to do what I need to do now. She said love often times takes more courage than anything else. So if I have the courage to love you so much, then I already have enough courage to finish this. And I shouldn't be afraid of failing."

Harry scooted over to just behind Draco, putting his arms around him. "I didn't know that you were worried about being brave."

"I was too afraid to do the right thing once before. I let myself be bullied into the things I did. I'm afraid that I won't have the courage to do the right thing again. It's not something one can easily tell the man they love. 'I'm sorry, dear, but I'm afraid I may abandon you when you need me the most.'"

"You won't though. I already know you won't."

Draco turned so that he was facing Harry, whose arms were still around him. Their bodies were pressed close together in the darkness. "I'm not as brave as you."

"I'm not all that brave. I'm mostly just stupid and don't think things through properly. I rush into things, but it's not out of bravery or even the hero complex that I've been told I have. It comes from not taking the time to think."

"Stupid Gryffindor." Draco smiled.

"I know you won't leave me. And I know you have the courage to do what we have to. I didn't need a Seer to know that. You stood up to your father for me. That alone took more courage than most people have."

"I'm glad she told me though. She also..." Draco trailed off, blushing. "She said that we make a good couple."

"Well, I think we do."

They kissed briefly and then Draco turned serious again.

"Are you tempted to go up the mountain? So you know everything that he knows?"

"No," Harry sighed. "I... It's intriguing. But I know nothing up there will help me and I already possess the power that he doesn't understand."

"Love. But she said that his ally would betray him because of it."

"I believe she means Snape, but I don't know how love comes into it. He certainly doesn't love me."

"No. Unless he's playing hard to get," Draco laughed.

"Prat. No, there's something else. I just can't figure out what."

They were silent for several minutes, content to just hold each other in the dark. Draco sighed, thinking about what the Seer had said of his fears. He thought about fighting, facing all his former friends, his father, and the man who had Marked him. Then he thought about Harry and their lives, their future if they lived. He wondered what it would be like, living with Harry ten years from now. But it all rested on if they made it through the war. Draco had never really fought before. Sure, he'd hexed people in the halls at school, and done well in dueling practice. But he had never really had to think about these things while actually fearing for his life. Against his better judgement, he heard himself asking.

"Harry? What's it like?"

"What?"

"Facing him."

"You've met him, you should know."

"I walked into the room– trying to control the nervous shaking– bowed before him, received my instructions and was Marked. I didn't look him in the eye the whole time. I never truly faced him as an equal as you have."

"I've never been his equal. I've only been lucky."

"But you've been there. Were you scared at all?"

"I don't really know if I felt scared. I was just trying to survive. It may have occurred to me afterwards to feel afraid. That's where the running in without thinking part comes in. All I could think about in the moment was how to get away. A couple times I didn't know the answer, so I just figured I'd die. That's where the luck comes in. The night he regained his body, the night of the third Triwizard Task I really did believe I would die. Cedric had just been killed. I saw Voldemort come back. My scar hurt so bad I thought my whole head would explode. And then he wanted to duel me. He doesn't hesitate. He knows... everything. He knows exactly what he's doing every moment and doesn't question it. It's intimidating."

"I've never heard you talk about that night."

"I try not to. Too many people wanted to know about it right after it happened. They wanted me to tell them about watching Cedric die. They wanted to hear about death and pain because they think that war is some glorious thing that we should brag about. So I just stopped talking about it. I find it amusing that they were all so obsessed with hearing about a man whose name they couldn't even bring themselves to say out loud. When this is all over I'll be glad if I never talk about it again."

"I'm worried about you."

"I wish I could promise you that I won't die, but I know I may be lying. All I can do is promise that I love you. And, if I do have to die, then I promise I _will_ take him down with me."

"I know."

Harry flicked the light on with his wand and sat up, resting against the headboard.

"I want you to know something else. When I went to see Remus the other day about the portkey I also had him go to Gringotts with me. I made out my will."

Draco sat up suddenly. "Harry, no..."

But he put up his hands for Draco to stop. "It had to be done. I don't want the Ministry deciding what to do with my things if I die. I talked it over with Remus and we agreed on it all. I told him about us– in case anyone should question my will." Harry laughed. "He said he already knew. But then I suppose it was fairly obvious after you were injured. I'm giving you the house and most of my vault. Don't argue. I also wrote a letter to the Ministry explaining your involvement this whole last year. Hopefully they will listen and you won't be arrested. I want to make sure you're taken care of.

"Grimmauld Place and the Black family money go to Remus. And Ron and Hermione each get a share of my Gringotts vault."

"You're talking like you're going to die."

"I hope I don't, but it is a possibility– for all of us."

"You've survived this long."

"Even cats only have nine lives. Don't you think I'm pressing my luck?"

Draco reached out and cupped Harry's face with his hand. "When this thing is over I may never let you out of my sight."

"You're going all Hufflepuff on me again."

They kissed briefly and Draco settled into Harry's arms and, eventually, fell asleep.


	20. A Very Long Night at Godric’s Hollow

**Chapter 20 - A Very Long Night at Godric's Hollow**

Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione apparated in front of the property at Godric's Hollow with a loud pop. It was one in the morning and they had been through three portkeys. Their concern had been in not letting anyone know that they were leaving the country and the protection around Harry's home. Now that they were on the way back, they used fake ID's that Hermione had made and went through the legal portkey stations. Before leaving they sent off an owl to Remus saying that they would be home soon and then prepared for the journey. The first portkey was from Sibiu to Bucharest, as there were no international portkeys available in Sibiu. In Bucharest they waited for several hours for the next trip to Paris. In France there was another long wait for the next available portkey to London. When they did arrive in London, they didn't speak to anyone or wait to be recognized. Hermione led them straight to the apparition point and left, attributing the chaos around them to the usual madness of a travel station. It had been a long evening, but finally they found themselves standing in the woods around the house.

"I'll be happy if I never have to wait at another portkey station again," said Hermione as they began their walk to the house

"I could sleep for a year."

"Too bad we can't," said Harry.

"First thing tomorrow, let's sit down with the Marauder's Map and figure out a plan"

Ron yawned. "Not first thing. Let's shoot for noon-ish."

"You're such an underachiever, Weasley. I– Hey wait," Draco stopped in his tracks and stared at the house, which had just come into view. "There's a light on. Was Lupin supposed to be here?"

"No," replied Hermione, "but if Voldemort was waiting for us he wouldn't have turned on a light. Send him a message, Harry."

Harry took out his wand and conjured a stag which immediately flew toward the house. A few minutes later a large silver wolf came bounding through the yard. It stopped in front of them. "I'm inside. It's safe." And with that, it disappeared. Harry was the first to start off toward the house at almost a run. There wasn't any reason for Remus to be there unless something was wrong.

They reached the front of the house and Harry opened the door cautiously with his wand out.

"Don't worry, I'm alone. Good thinking sending your Patronus first."

"What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of us."

"Sorry about that. I got your owl saying that you'd be arriving sometime tonight. I got here a little bit ago and when you weren't here yet... I was worried they'd gotten you."

"Just took longer with the portkeys than expected." Remus came closer and the light hit his face for the first time and Harry could see new scratches and his hair was ruffled like he'd been in a fight. "What's happened?"

"There were more raids. They tried to take the Ministry."

"When?"

"Just this evening. Order headquarters was taken."

Ron nearly jumped forward. "My family?"

"They're fine. As safe as any of us can be. Your mother gave them hell trying to save her house, but in the end your father had to disapparate her against her will. Your sister got a few minor wounds in the process, but she will be fine too. They were just finishing packing. A few more minutes and they would have been gone."

"Packing?" asked Harry. "They were going to leave the Burrow?"

Remus nodded. "Snape. He may have saved us all. He sent word this afternoon that there was going to be something and that headquarters had been compromised. He didn't say how. Molly, Arthur, and Ginny had been moving anything important out all evening. If Snape hadn't warned us there could have been a lot more of us there."

Harry shared a significant look with the others at the mention of Snape.

"And they didn't get the Ministry?"

He shook his head. "Once we were warned the Order went to back up the Ministry. Ron's family were the only ones who stayed behind at headquarters. We had injuries at the Ministry and Scrimgeour is still there, but if we're attacked again anytime soon it won't hold. And I don't know if Snape will risk warning us again."

"Where are the Weasleys staying?"

"Right now they're probably at the Ministry, but Molly is getting anxious to get Ginny out of there. There were other attacks tonight and Minerva has, against the governors' wishes, reopened the school to house those who are now homeless. They'll more than likely go there. Not that it's good enough for Molly."

"She's a little protective of Ginny," mumbled Ron. He sat down heavily, still looking worried.

"We'll be finding another location for Order headquarters, and that's likely where your family will stay long-term. Nobody really wants to use the school with all the people staying there."

"What if the Weasleys stayed here? And we make this house the temporary headquarters?" The question was no doubt asked to the entire room, but Harry was looking at Draco. "We're protected in a way that Hogwarts isn't."

"What about our plans, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"We'll keep all that stuff upstairs and we'll hold our meetings up there. The library can be a bedroom, as can the training room in the cellar. And I think we can spare the third upstairs bedroom. And if we have to take on any extra people then we can set up tents in the back."

He was still looking at Draco for approval. The blond finally nodded, although he wasn't entirely enthusiastic about it.

"Tell them to come here. This can be Order headquarters for a while."

"Are you sure, Harry?"

He finally looked away from Draco and nodded. "Tonks said that she'd like to stay here, didn't she? I'm sure she'll like visiting more often. Will you go to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and tell them that their family is welcome?"

Remus nodded and left.

"Well, it looks like we're not sleeping right away. I don't know how many will come. Ron, your parents can use the library. We'll have to transfigure a bed. And all our books and papers will have to go up to our rooms. Anything that has to do with the Horcruxes has to disappear, as well as Dumbledore's notes. Ginny can use Draco's old room and anyone else will have to sleep in the living room for now."

"Ron and I will start clearing the library."

"We'll go move the rest of Draco's stuff."

Draco wasn't entirely happy and complained by loudly stomping up the stairs.

"Are you going to yell at me?" asked Harry.

"No. Why would I?"

"You're pissed off."

"Am I?" He bent to pick up a bundle of books from next to his bed and carried them into Harry's room.

"It's not like you've slept in here at all in the last month," Harry said, following him with an armful of clothes. "I didn't think you would want to keep your own room now that Ron and Hermione know we're together."

"That's not the point." The books landed roughly on the bed and Draco went back into his room.

"Then what is?"

"Your ex-girlfriend is going to be living here. Not only that, but you purposely put her parents downstairs, which means that she will be right across from your– _our_– bedroom!"

"Did you really want Mr. and Mrs. Weasley staying right across the hall from us? They're like parents to me! Do you think I want them knowing what we're doing in here?"

"Ashamed of me already?"

Harry spluttered, trying to find the words. His mouth opened and closed several times before finally exploding with, "Quit being such a girl!"

So those weren't quite the right words, but they would do for now.

"I am _not_ a girl!"

"No, you're only acting like one right now! I'm not ashamed of you, in fact, I know that if they're here they'll know about us right away and I'm proud to tell them, but knowing that we're together and hearing us shagging are two totally different things!"

"But you don't mind her hearing us? You want your ex to hear us?"

"Not particularly, but I figure if it has to be one or the other, I'd rather it be her!"

Draco huffed and crossed his arms, apparently out of argument for the time being.

"Can we just get this over with? They could be here any time."

Draco nodded and they worked in silence for several moments. "You think the Weasleys will have a fit when they find out?"

"Yes. But it's nothing we can't handle. I am worried about Ginny though." Draco opened his mouth and Harry cut him off. "Before you say anything stupid, can I just say that I have no desire to get back together with her? I want you, and only you. Her being here won't change that. She's moved on, too, but she didn't figure I'd be moving on to a boy and I don't want her to be hurt because of it. When we broke up I told her that it was because I wanted her to be safe and that was the truth. I don't want her to think it was because I was hiding something else. She's fought by my side just like Ron and Hermione have and I don't want to lose her friendship over this."

Draco dropped the last load of things on the bed and stood still for a few moments. "You're right. I was being a girl. Which is worse than being a Hufflepuff. And I don't want the Weasleys hearing us shag. I'm still not happy about this though."

"I didn't figure you would be. I think all of us have gotten used to living quietly here. Now we'll have parents here to keep an eye on us."

"Hopefully not for too long. Then all of this will be over."

"Harry! Draco! Remus is back!"

They came down the stairs to see Ginny sitting in one of the armchairs in the living room talking to Hermione and Ron. Remus was standing near the door. Harry approached him quietly to not disturb Ginny's conversation.

"Where are the others?"

"I'll bring them along in a couple hours. The twins have opted to stick it out in Diagon Ally a bit longer though. Arthur is settling things at the Ministry. He may be staying there for a while. Molly went up to help the teachers get people organized at Hogwarts. They're trying to keep a list of everyone staying there so that it will be easier to identify the missing. Once that is done, she will send me a message and I'll bring her. Minerva wants an Order meeting tomorrow, so plan on more people coming over then. Tonks and I will have to bring them here."

"Any ideas on how they got the Burrow?"

"There has to be a leak somewhere. Arthur is Secret Keeper, but there have been a couple occasions when he's had to write the address down to pass it to who needed it. Someone didn't destroy it afterwards. It narrows it down to me, Kingsley, Dedalus Diggle, and Hestia Jones."

"Well that's reassuring."

"Isn't it? All trusted Order members. All in the inner circle on most everything. Needless to say, they won't be coming to the meeting and Mad-Eye is keeping them close until we get this sorted."

"Well, it's not you or Kingsley."

"Isn't it? It could be anyone and we would never know. If it were me you'd probably be dead by now. But other than the fact that Kingsley is a trained Auror, why couldn't it be him?"

Harry sighed in defeat. "We can't trust anyone."

"I'm glad now that you never told me what you're doing. I'm too much of a risk."

"What about the Ministry?"

"We'll be splitting the Order so that some will stay there to keep guard."

Harry nodded, but didn't reply, as Ginny had just noticed the presence of Harry and Draco.

"So it's true. He is here."

She didn't say it in an unkind way and merely looked interested. Draco said nothing, but put on haughty look, daring her to question his presence.

"We were taking bets on it," she continued. "Bill said he'd been injured and then everyone was saying that he was staying here, but no one really knew for sure. Neville said there was no way that you three would be able to live with him without killing each other. I guess he owes me a galleon. Now the only question is, how long has he been here?"

"Draco's been staying with us since the summer. There's a lot we have to fill you in on."

"Finally, someone who will give me some answers. Nobody likes to tell the Junior Order Members anything. But first, is there any chance you have something to eat around here?"

Remus returned to the Ministry and the others began making a very early breakfast, settling in to tell Ginny how they ended up with Draco Malfoy.

"How come you guys always end up with the good stories?" Ginny asked before stuffing a fork of egg into her mouth.

"Just lucky I guess," Harry said dryly.

"But you haven't said everything. You alluded to an injury, but you didn't say how it happened."

"We can't. I'm all better now. That's the important thing."

"And it's all because of you," she said to Draco. "It's funny how things work, isn't it? This time last year you would have let each other die."

Draco merely nodded curtly and looked away, not really wanting to think about this time last year.

"So where am I staying? Is there even enough room for us all here?"

"There's one bedroom upstairs for you and your parents will be in the library."

"I imagine it's way past everyone's bed time and I'm sorry to be a nuisance."

"You're not, but if you don't mind, Ginny, I would like to talk to you privately for a bit."

Ginny and Draco wore identical frowns, while Ron and Hermione shared a worried wide-eyed look.

"Well then, I guess we'll be heading up to bed," said Hermione.

"I'll stay up in case Lupin comes back," said Draco. _Or in case the Weaslette decides to move in on Harry,_ he finished silently.

Harry motioned for Ginny to grab her cloak and they went out the back door. They were walking silently for several moments and Ginny decided to break the ice.

"You're not going to do the whole weird ex-boyfriend routine now that I'm here, are you?"

"No. I assume you feel the same as you did at Christmas."

"Not entirely." He stopped and looked at her. "Harry, I am still over you. The difference is Dean and I aren't together anymore. I'm not trying to get you back or anything like that. I just thought you should know that. You're still the cutest boy from our school, but I'm not here to try to fix what can't be fixed between us."

"Good. I need to tell you some things too. Especially since you'll be sleeping across the hall from me." His hands were shaking and he could have vomited right there. "Draco and I are together."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You're not joking, are you?" He shook his head and she took a deep breath, apparently overwhelmed by the news.

"I don't want you to think that... Well, it's not... Oh bugger. I was really attracted to you, Ginny. I wasn't using you to cover up anything. I wouldn't do that."

"I know you wouldn't, Harry. You're too honest for that. But this..."

Harry looked away. He felt miserable having to tell her this.

"...this does explain some things though."

"What?"

"Just confirmation on some suspicions I'd been having."

He was glad that it was dark so she couldn't see his face burn. "Gin, if there was something... you know, about us, or how we...were...er, you could have said then."

When she realized what he was trying to say she had to stop herself from laughing. "Oh no. No, you were quite satisfactory actually. No, that's not... You're performance certainly isn't what made me suspicious. It's just... there were moments– and I don't think you even knew it– when I thought you may have been looking at something– someone. I'm sure nobody else would have noticed, but I always watched you closely. I don't think you even realized what you were looking at, or if you did you would have told yourself that it was innocent."

"No, I didn't... I didn't realize until this summer."

"When Malfoy showed up?"

"No, when Fleur's brother groped me under the table at the wedding."

"He didn't!"

Harry smiled and nodded, thankful that the butterflies in his stomach had left.

"The twins said that he and Charlie disappeared for a while that afternoon. They couldn't stop making jokes about it."

"Charlie is...?"

"Oh yes. Mum doesn't know and he doesn't talk about it with any of us, but the twins found some of his magazines once and showed me. He lives so far away he probably doesn't see the point in telling anyone until he finds the right person."

"I didn't know."

"You're not the only one with secrets, Harry Potter."

"I guess not. So what did happen with you and Dean?"

"The Order. He's of age and joined officially when the school closed. I tried to get him to tell me what was going on, but he never would and always sided with Mum about me not being qualified to be a regular member. That wouldn't have been so bad, but then he started treating me like a little kid. I was old enough for a shag out in the broom shed, but I wasn't smart enough or powerful enough to hold my own against Death Eaters. Never mind that I'd actually faced them before and he hadn't. So I told him that I would be more than happy to demonstrate my hexes if he wanted. He didn't like them much, so we broke up. Neville and the twins at least kept me informed, and although they wouldn't put me in danger, they would never say that I can't defend myself."

"No, and Dean should know better, too."

"Well, it's over now and I'm actually glad. But you and Malfoy, Harry?"

"Yeah, weird isn't it?"

"Yes. At least he's good-looking. Come to think of it, I would consider you quite a gorgeous couple, if I could just get past the fact that it's Draco Malfoy. I mean, there's so much history between you. Not to mention that we've all hexed him at least once. Then there's the Inquisitorial Squad with Umbridge and everything that happened last year."

"We explained all that. He can never erase what he did, but don't forget that I did some pretty horrible things to him, too. I think we've both made our share of mistakes."

"But he's changed. You both have. And he makes you happy?" Harry nodded. She smiled and reached a hand out to touch his cheek. "Well then that's all that matters."

Ginny started toward the door and paused to speak, a familiar amusement in her voice. "I'll try not to listen in on the two of you from across the hall."

Harry smiled and went in to show her to her room, but he didn't go to bed. Draco stayed in the living room to wait for Remus and Harry took a seat next to him with the Marauder's Map.

"So that's how you always got away with things."

"Yep. This passage here is how I got to Hogsmeade third year when I wasn't supposed to go. Snape almost caught me. I told him you must have been hallucinating if you saw my head in town."

"Arsehole."

"Yep."

"Look at all the names on there. A lot of classmates are back again."

"They're even using the dungeons, but I don't recognize any of the names there."

"Me either. No, isn't that Mrs. Weasley? Why would she be in the dungeons?"

"I don't know," said Harry. "There's a Wood, but I don't recognize the first name. Lynette?"

"Never heard of her. Was that your old Quidditch captain's name?"

"Yeah. Oliver. Maybe it's his sister or mum?"

Draco shrugged and looked elsewhere on the map. "How are we going to look for the Horcrux if there are people all over down there?"

"I'm sure we'll find a way. McGonagall will help us."

"Aren't you getting sleepy yet?"

"Adrenaline. I can go days without sleep."

"You almost have. It's five a.m. We've been up for over twenty-four hours."

"We wouldn't be if you hadn't woke me up."

"Are you complaining about that?"

"Nah. It was worth the lack of sleep," grinned Harry. "Although, if I'd known that our whole day would be spent sitting in portkey stations, I may have not agreed to round two. You should go up to bed though and I'll wait for Remus."

"I'm not leaving you up alone on a night like this. Besides, I wanted to hear about your conversation with the– er, with her."

Harry smiled. He was sure that Draco had been about to call her "weaslette," but stopped himself. "I was wondering when you would ask. It went well. We assured each other that we don't want to get back together and I told her about you."

"And she took it well?"

"Yeah," Harry laughed. "Actually I think she was a little turned on by it."

Draco made a face. "That's all we need is some little straight girl obsessing over hot boy sex."

"Don't worry. She won't bother us. I don't think anyway. She's got the twins' sense of humor, but I think she's got more restraint."

"Look." Draco pointed to the map. "Mrs. Weasley and Lupin are leaving the school grounds."

Sure enough, just a few minutes later Harry could see them walking up to the house from the apparition point. He opened the door for them, but was immediately swept up in a tight hug.

"Oh thank goodness, Harry, you're all right. Ginny arrived safely? And Ron and Hermione are fine too?"

"Yes, we're all fine."

"I've been so worried! Let me look at you." She pulled back and scanned him up and down. "Much better than at Christmas!" Then she caught sight of Draco standing in the background. "And I suppose I have you to thank for that. Remus told me all about everything, dear boy."

Harry almost laughed at the look of horror on Draco's face as Mrs. Weasley pounced on him. She hugged him just as tightly as she had Harry and when she let go she stood back eyeing them both. "I'm not saying I haven't had my doubts about you, but if you saved Harry's life then I suppose I have to rethink things. And I think what your father did was just appalling. I can't believe a father... oh, but I don't know about anybody anymore. War does things to people. And you both look thin. Thin and pale!"

"Mrs. Weasley, we're fine. Ginny is sleeping upstairs and we set up a bed in the library for you and Mr. Weasley."

"Oh thank you, dear. Yes, I am a bit tired. We've all had such a long day. Arthur will be staying at the Ministry until this evening I'm afraid. Minerva and I just got things settled at the school. Poor dears coming in from all over the country. Probably a hundred at the castle already and there will be more before it's over."

Then Harry remember the name Wood on the map. "Draco, would you show Mrs. Weasley to the library and bathroom?"

Draco scowled, but nodded and left with her still chattering nervously.

"Remus, I was watching them all on the Marauder's Map."

His eyebrows rose. "Did you see anything suspicious?"

"No, no, I was just wondering who was using the dungeons. The names weren't familiar and we didn't figure that there would be many Slytherins around, so..."

"No, unfortunately, the dungeons are being used to house the orphans until we can find their extended family. Minerva's made it a little warmer and child-friendly, but it was decided that it was best if the castle came under attack. Better protected."

Harry's heart seemed to stop the second Remus said the word "orphans."

"Oh, god. There was a name on there. Lynette Wood. Do you know... is she related to Oliver Wood?"

He could tell from Remus' look that he remembered Oliver being Quidditch Captain from the one year he taught there.

"I don't know. Molly?" They went to the library door where she and Draco were still talking. "Was there a woman named Lynette Wood helping you in the dungeons?"

Molly's face fell and Harry knew the answer before she said it. "I'm sorry. Lynette is one of the orphans. Two years old. Daughter of Oliver and his muggle wife. They were going for mixed blood households. The Burrow and the Ministry were the only exceptions. I'm sorry, Harry. I know you and the boys knew him."

After that, Harry just wanted to be alone. He sent Draco up to bed and sat in the little sunroom off the kitchen watching light begin to filter through the trees, but not really paying attention to it. A little while later Ron joined him.

"Malfoy told me about Oliver."

"He's still up?"

"Heard me walking to the bathroom and came out. Told me to come down here and sit with you."

"You didn't have to."

"I don't have to do anything Malfoy says. But this is the one time I'm willing to listen to him."

Harry nodded.

"How many orphans are there?"

"I don't know. From the names on the map, maybe twelve or so. There were other cases where the entire family was wiped out. Children included. The kids that survived were either looked over or neighbors intervened before the Death Eaters got to them. This has to end."

"It will. But you're not going to be any use to anyone if you don't get some rest."

"I will. I wanted one of us to be up in case something happened. Your dad is still at the Ministry, so..."

"I'll stay up now."

Harry nodded, but didn't make a move to leave. Ron knew he couldn't force him to go to sleep, so he kept talking.

"So Ginny didn't kill you when you told her."

"Still here."

"Still in love with Malfoy."

Harry looked at him. "Completely."

"We haven't talked much lately. You know, just the two of us."

"I guess not."

"I wanted you to know that it's not on purpose– it's not because of Malfoy. I don't really like him, and I don't have a clue what you see in him, but you're still my best mate."

"I want him to live with me after the war."

Ron scrunched up his face. "What, like, get married?"

"Maybe. I hadn't really thought about the terminology, but if that's what he wanted I'd to it without question. I haven't really talked to him about this yet, but I've thought about it a lot."

"Well, I reckon if Ginny can accept all this then I don't really have room to complain. I still don't want to hear about you and the ferret doing... stuff though."

"Will you just admit that you don't think of him as 'the ferret' anymore?"

"I admit that he's not a total wanker. How's that?"

Harry let out a short grunt of a laugh. "Good. I've got a favor to ask."

Red eyebrows shot up in question.

"I told you all about my will. But I'm afraid that if I'm gone the Ministry will try to interfere. I want you to promise if I die you'll do what you can to see that my wishes are carried out and Draco stays out of prison."

"I will," Ron nodded. "But you have to do something for me. If I don't make it I want you to look after Hermione. I know she can take care of herself, but she'll need someone to keep her from getting buried in her research. Just... make sure she doesn't grieve for so long she forgets to live."

"I promise."

"I'd tell you to look out for Ginny too, but she's got so many brothers I think she needs one guy in her life who won't be so over protective."

Harry smiled. "I don't think I could handle her anyway."

They were silent for several minutes, each contemplating what they had just promised their best friend. It somehow made it all real. Even making out his will hadn't given Harry the sense of foreboding that this exchange with Ron had.

"You know," said Harry quietly, "in a few weeks when it's over, we'll remember this and laugh."

_Or, in a few weeks, we could be dead,_ he added silently.

"Of course. We've survived this long, right?"

It wasn't particularly convincing and Harry was still filled with dread from what Danica, the Seer, had said about people dying. Less than twenty-four hours later it was already coming true. Many had died tonight. Some Harry had cared about. He knew that it could be anyone next.

Harry stood and put a hand on Ron's shoulder and stood, finally ready to go to bed. "Good night."

Ron smiled. "Good morning."


	21. You Know This is the Only Way

**Chapter 21 - You Know This is the Only Way**

As tired as he was, Harry only slept for four hours after hearing about Oliver Wood's death. He hadn't known Oliver got married, much less to a muggle, or that he'd had a child. Now he was gone. How many others had they lost?

When he woke it was to an empty bed. He showered quickly and headed downstairs, eager to see how Draco was getting along with a house full of Weasleys. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Weasley was busy in the kitchen while the others waited patiently at the table. Ron and Hermione were trying– and failing– to get Ginny and Draco involved in a conversation to end a staring contest they seemed to be having with each other. The couple looked helplessly at Harry when he entered.

"Harry, dear, here's some toast. I'm going to fatten you all up while I'm here." She was trying to keep her usual motherly tone, but he could hear the fear and anxiety in her voice.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he answered, taking a seat at the end of the table, between Draco and Ginny. He looked between them curiously. They didn't look angry, but merely interested.

"Draco?" He leaned over to peck Draco on the cheek, which finally drew his eye away from Ginny.

"Good morning. You sleep okay?"

Harry nodded. "Considering."

Draco frowned. "If you woke me I could have gotten you a potion."

"I'm fine. I'll sleep better tonight."

Ginny had been following their conversation intently, but let her eyes rest on Draco again. And just like that they were back to their original positions. Harry wanted to know what was going on, but didn't really want Mrs. Weasley hearing everything, so he was relieved when an owl came and she went into the library to answer it.

"Okay. What the fuck is wrong with you two?"

"Just checking," said Ginny. "You didn't honestly expect us both to just accept everything. We had to check each other out a bit, right?"

"Right," said Draco.

"Honestly, Harry, until you kissed him good morning, I was having a hard time believing it all."

"Let's be very straightforward about this," Draco began in a very business-like tone, "since everyone expects us to hate each other. If you try to get him back I'll use you for experimental curse practice."

Ginny smiled sweetly. "He's all yours, babe. But if you hurt him I'll rip your balls off and use them for bludgers."

Harry, Ron and Hermione were all staring, a bit in shock at Ginny's words. Draco, however, smiled and began spreading jam on his bread.

"Excellent. You see, Weasley, even your little sister can intimidate people better than you."

"Oh, Ron isn't scary at all," she agreed. "Unless you're watching him eat."

And somehow Draco and Ginny got along. Harry didn't know how or why, but they were perfectly happy ignoring the others at the table and chatting about little things like school and Quidditch. He glanced down the table to Ron and Hermione, who looked every bit as confused as he was feeling. Even when the meal was over they continued to talk and it was beginning to make Harry nervous.

"You seem to be getting along with Ginny wonderfully," Harry said when they finally managed to get alone in their room.

"Is there a problem with that?" Draco smirked. He knew that Harry was feeling just a little jealous.

"I don't suppose so, but the two of you have been talking all afternoon. What could you possibly have to talk about?"

"Worried we're going to compare notes on you?" He laughed when Harry blushed. "You know, she's a lot smarter than her brother. More powerful magically, too, if I remember her hexing capabilities correctly."

He sat down on the bed and flipped through a Quidditch magazine that Harry had left sitting out.

"Yeah, she's... creative."

"I get the feeling she can be a bit sneaky. Maybe a little on the manipulative side if she wanted to be. She would have made a good Slytherin."

"She isn't like that though, which is why she's in Gryffindor."

"No, she isn't," Draco agreed. "But she has the ability, the ambition. And she's tough. Tougher than Granger."

"What's your point?"

Draco looked up at him then. "Just noticing why you love her so much. Honestly, Dark magic aside, I'd say she's a lot like me. With boobs."

"Impossible. She doesn't spend more than ten minutes in front of the mirror." Draco scowled at him. "And she doesn't go around reminding people that she's better than them."

"No, but she has a bit of an arrogant side. Perhaps not quite as pronounced as mine..."

"Like you or not, she's not the one I want."

"I know that now. And I think you were right last night."

"What?"

"I think she is a little turned on by us."

Harry laughed. "Did she ask to watch?"

"No, thank Merlin."

Then came a knock at the door that interrupted their conversation. Ron and Hermione had arrived for their Horcrux meeting. The Order was going to be meeting downstairs in two hours and they wanted to have a tentative plan for the exploration of Hogwarts so they could talk to Professor McGonagall about getting into the school.

"Wow, look at all those people," said Hermione when Harry had activated the map.

"There are more since last night. All homeless. And the ones in the dungeon are all the orphans and a few of the kids whose parents are up in the hospital. That's how we found out about Oliver. That's his little girl there." He pointed to a dot and name in the Slytherin common room.

"Oh god," muttered Hermione. "All those..." She took a deep breath and seemed to struggle to maintain composure. "I never thought about the children. We hear the numbers of the dead and wounded, but we never consider who the dead leave behind. Even after knowing you all these years, Harry, and knowing what happened to your parents, it didn't hit me until just now. As horrible as war is for the rest of us, how much worse must it be for the children who are parentless because of our actions?"

Ron put an arm around her and no one spoke for several moments. There was nothing to add to that. She was right and Harry felt ashamed suddenly, that although he was orphaned by war, he had never considered this either until he saw Lynette Wood's name on the map. They were always so focused on how many had been killed that no one realized that the casualty count was actually much higher.

"Then let's end it," said Draco, his voice unusually bitter. "So these children will be the last Voldemort ever orphans. So they will know that their parents' killers didn't get away with it."

Harry nodded and began to point out where the secret Slytherin room was. Every now and then his eyes wandered back to Lynette Wood.

By the time Order members began showing up for their meeting they had a plan started. They were in agreement about their search of Hogwarts, but the thing that had caused the most argument had been Harry's plan to finish Voldemort off. Even as they descended the stairs for the Order meeting, none of them were speaking to each other.

There were many familiar faces showing up. Tonks and Remus were bringing everyone over individually from the Ministry and McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley were stationed outside the house, making sure everyone made it from the apparition point to the building. They weren't risking anymore leaks.

Harry was glad to see Neville, Dean and Seamus. It was like old times in Dumbledore's Army. There were others. Katie Bell had joined the Order since leaving school, although Harry noticed that Draco stayed as far away from her as possible after he had inadvertently nearly killed her.

Ginny collected her galleon from Neville for the bet on Draco, but then was quickly ushered out of the room by Mrs. Weasley. All the underage members were to wait in the kitchen for their assignments, but weren't privy the entire meeting.

"You'd better fill me in after, Neville," she whispered.

He nodded and took a seat for the meeting.

"Okay," Professor McGonagall began in her very crisp business tone. "I know we all have a lot to talk about, but let me start by explaining where we are. The exact location will, at the present time, be kept secret, but you are standing in the current residence of Harry Potter, who has agreed to take in some of our members and let us use his home for our meetings. You'll notice that he, along with Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley are here tonight, joined by one Draco Malfoy. We're not going to give the full story, for our time is better spent on other things. Suffice to say that Mr. Malfoy is no longer a Death Eater and has given invaluable information and aide to our members over the past several months. I will ask that we all put any hostile feelings aside and work together.

"Let's first talk about the Ministry. Kingsly?"

"He couldn't make it, Minerva," said Mr. Weasley from the back. "He sent word that the Minister is safe at the present. The Order, combined with the remaining Aurors, has the Ministry under control."

"Were many Aurors killed?" asked one man.

"Several," answered Tonks. "And some who weren't were revealed as spies. Most likely under the Imperius. Moody is working on sorting out that mess right now."

McGonagall nodded. "And if the Ministry is hit again?"

Tonks frowned and glanced at Mr. Weasley. They shared a worried look before she answered again. "We don't know for sure how many Death Eaters may have been killed or injured during these attacks, so it's hard to say for sure. But... in our current state... we wouldn't be able to hold them again. Unless we got reinforcements, there's no way the Ministry would withstand another attack like last night. Moody says... He believes the Ministry will fall. It's only a matter of when."

"Which means," said Mr. Weasley, "we have to be ready with possible evacuation plans. If they can get the Ministry then our refugees at Hogwarts will no longer be safe. We have to think about setting up safe houses. Possibly use the Fidelius Charm again."

"Who's going to be Secret Keeper," asked Mundungus Fletcher. "I don' trust a one of ya with them runnin' around Imperioin' everyone. There's no one who's safe from them now. I say we have to rely on ourselves. Each of us responsible for their own safety."

The murmuring began right away, but Draco's voice carried over the others and silenced them.

"And what about those kids who are sitting down in the Hogwarts dungeons without homes or parents? What are they supposed to do? Should they just fend for themselves too?"

Mundungus' eyes narrowed and he stood, looking eye-level at Draco with disdain. "Now you're so concerned about kids? You didn't give a damn about them last year when you led Death Eaters into their school. You got all these nice people trustin' you, but I say 'like father, like son.' Or didn't they tell you that Lucius Malfoy's the one that orphaned a good number of those kids? They're sayin' he went mudblood hunting before joining his friends at the Ministry. How do we know you wasn't with him?"

Harry watched the blood drain from Draco's face and decided it was time for him to take charge. "Enough," he said. "Draco Malfoy was not involved in these attacks, or in any of the others this year. He's got three witnesses who can provide an alibi for him since last July. He has saved my life and was nearly killed by his own father for his loyalty to our side. His allegiance will not be questioned here. You, on the other hand, Mundungus, are lucky I even allow you in my house after you stole from my godfather. If you don't have anything constructive to add to this meeting I suggest you leave."

The man sat back down and the whole room waited for Harry to continue. "You all have the right to go into hiding and take care of yourselves and your families. I'm not arguing with that. But Draco was right. There are a lot of people up at the school who can't defend themselves. Many are children. We have to organize a way to take care of them."

"What do you suggest, Harry?"

"We're already doing it. The Ministry is the first priority and Hogwarts is already protected. Those willing can move their families into the school. It's probably safer than their homes."

"And if the school is attacked?"

"He'll try to take the Ministry before he does the school, so we'll have some warning. But if there is an attack I know of some passages to use for evacuation. Mr. Weasley's idea about safe houses under the Fidelius Charm is probably the best way to go. We should start setting those up immediately. I volunteer this house as the first of those."

"What happens if the Ministry falls?"

"Then the people of Hogwarts need to start evacuating to the safe houses. They need to have an escape plan in place right away. If that happens, then we save as many as possible."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Pomona, you have the report on the state of the refugees at the school."

Professor Sprout began rattling off numbers indicating how many were staying at the castle and in what areas. And then they started listing the deaths. Too many.

"It could have been a lot worse," Remus reminded them. "We have a possible spy in the Death Eaters who sent word just before the attacks. Without him many of us would have been caught off guard at the old headquarters and the Minister may not have been secured in time."

"So he's playing both sides, waiting to see who comes out on top!" shouted a witch standing near Fleur and Bill.

"I don't think he is. This isn't the first time he's helped."

"If he's so wonderful then why didn't he warn you before Hogwarts was attacked in October?"

Remus didn't have an answer for that. Neither did Harry. He was still conflicted about Snape. He hated the man and always had, but even before his trip to the Seer Harry knew that he was missing a piece of the proverbial puzzle. Without mentioning him by name, they argued about Snape for a while. Then they would argue about something else. There were too many reports of all the things people were doing. Harry, having not slept well, began yawning long before it was over.

In the end, they decided that Professors McGonagall and Sprout and Mrs. Weasley would be in charge of the refugees at the school. Harry told them about the Room of Requirement and suggested it was a more comfortable and secure place for the children. Remus was in charge of organizing the evacuation using the various secret passages and they assigned others to set up safe houses.

Tonks, Moody, and Kingsly would lead the Order's forces at the Ministry, cooperating with the Auror Department. Everyone else was divided between the two places to act as guards. When it was over Harry motioned Tonks, Remus and McGonagall to follow him to the library to talk in private. Draco, Ron and Hermione followed reluctantly. They knew what this was about.

"I need to give you something, Remus. I may need it again at some point, but since you'll be there..."

Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map and handed it to him. Then he explained to McGonagall and Tonks what it was. "Remus, you know the passages better than any of the others. Except the twins. I really think you should reconsider assigning them to the Ministry. They would be more help at the school. They've used the map and have snuck around that castle more than any of us. Filch knows about some of the passages, but not all, and I don't know if he's thought to have them guarded, but you should. Wormtail will know them, so if they wanted to get into the castle he would help them. I just didn't want to talk about it in there with everyone."

"These passages will be useful in helping people evacuate if need be," said McGonagall. "And we'll have someone trade places at the Ministry with Fred and George."

"And the map will tell you if there are any unfriendlies in the area. Even animagi. There's something else. Tomorrow evening, we're going to need to get into the castle. We're looking for something. Probably near the Slytherin dorms or even in the Chamber of Secrets."

"What is it? Perhaps I can help."

"I'm sorry, Professor, you can't. I'm almost done with the task Dumbledore assigned me and I plan to keep it secret through the end."

She nodded. "I'll tell Hagrid you're coming. Send word to him and he will let you in the gate. The children will be moved up to the Room of Requirement in the morning so they won't be in your way. Is there anything else you'll need me to do?"

"No. If things go well there, then we should be ready for him. That why I need you, Tonks. If they attack the Ministry again I need to know about it right away."

"Why?"

He took a deep breath before answering her. "Because I'm planning on using Snape to let Voldemort know that I'm there. With any luck, he'll come, hoping to finish me off himself and then we'll end it."

McGonagall drew in a sharp breath. "You're not serious?"

"It's the only way to get him there without raising his suspicions. Assuming he hasn't caught on to Snape yet."

"Harry, he wants you dead! We can't use you as bate!" cried Remus, clearly horrified.

"Tonks, as our only professional Auror in the room, can you see any other way to ensure that he's there?"

Remus was trying to catch her eye, to will her to agree with him, but she was looking straight at Harry.

"As an Auror, no. But as your friend, I have to say that I wish you would reconsider."

"So do we," said Ron.

"So you don't all agree with this plan," stated Remus.

"How can we truly agree to this?" asked Hermione. "But we know that Harry will have to face him sooner or later and as long as we're ready, then this is probably the best option. Once he takes the Ministry we may not get another good chance. But no, we're not at all happy about it."

Draco wouldn't even look at anyone else in the room, let alone speak.

"It's time to end this, Remus," said Harry. "He's hurt too many people for too long. If I have to die so that he can't hurt anyone else, then I'm willing to do it."

Harry barely had the words out when Draco wordlessly stormed out of the room. The door slammed after him, making everyone jump a little. Harry closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself to stay calm. Finally he looked up at Tonks.

"Will you do this for me?"

She nodded. Nobody knew quite what to say, so nothing was said. They separated quietly and everyone went their own way until dinner. Draco didn't come down and Harry made excuses for him to Mrs. Weasley, even though they hadn't spoken since they stood in the library. Ginny kept eyeing him during the meal and he couldn't figure out what she was getting at. Finally when he, Ron and Hermione excused themselves Ginny followed them out and stopped them at the stairs.

"I'm going with you."

"What? Where?"

"I'm not stupid, Harry, and I learned a few tricks from Fred and George. I heard you in the library earlier and I'm going with you to the school."

"You are not!" roared Ron.

"Gin, you know we can't let you. We're not telling anyone else what we're looking for and it could be really dangerous."

"Don't you dare baby me. You know I'm just as capable of taking care of myself as the rest of you!"

"I know you are, but your mum would kill me, not to mention Ron."

"You're not going and that's all there is to it!" Ron crossed his arms in front of him for emphasis.

"Mum is going back to the school in the morning and Dad is going to be organizing safe houses. All my brothers are going to be at the Ministry waiting for war. What am I supposed to be doing while everyone I love is off getting killed? Hell, knowing you, you'll go right from there to your stupid suicide mission and I'll miss the whole fucking thing!"

Ron and Hermione must have recognized the blazing look in her eyes and stayed quiet, but Harry recklessly pressed on.

"Good! You're better off that way! Do you think any of us want to go? Do you think war is something fun? We go because we have to and you're better off if you never have to go through that!"

"Oh get off your goddamn hero complex Potter! You're not the only one who's willing to die for the people they love! You forget I'm not so innocent. I know what war is. I almost died down in the Chamber because of Voldemort! I could have gotten killed when we all followed you to the Department of Mysteries. I knew it, but I still went! And not because I have a glorious idea about war, but because I won't back down when those I love are in danger. I'm not sitting here in your house like a good little housewife waiting for you to come back. I either go with you, or I go alone. Either way, I am going to watch Tom Riddle die!"

Harry's temper had deflated a bit. She was right. And she was certainly able to take care of herself. Wasn't he just as bad as Dean now? Everyone wanted to keep her in a little protective bubble, but it was really the last thing she needed. He was a little afraid to look at her right now and turned away while he came up with something good to say. Then he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes and found Draco standing halfway up the staircase. He had obviously heard most of the conversation and Harry could tell just from his look that he was siding with Ginny. Harry turned to Ron. He also had run out of argument for his sister. He wasn't happy about it, but they all knew that Ginny would do what she wanted whether they were around or not.

"I guess I can't expect to protect everyone else while I run off to face death. I'm sorry I underestimated you, Ginny."

And without another word, Harry walked out into the cool night air.

Draco found him an hour later in the garage sitting next to Sirius' bike.

"Do you want to go flying?"

"You're talking to me again?"

"Obviously." There was a hint of that old Malfoy sneer in his voice.

"You know this is the only way."

Draco sat down in front of him, hugging his knees up to his chest. "That doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"No. But you can support me."

"You're the only one I have left. My mother may be dead, my father tried to kill me, and my aunt is a psychotic bitch who is in love with the man who's trying to kill us all. I don't want to lose you too."

"In the end it has to be me and him. You know that."

Draco squeezed his eyes shut. "You've ruined me, Harry. I can't imagine my life without you anymore. And I don't want to."

Harry got up and wrapped his arms around the blond. He wasn't crying, but looked almost as if he could.

"I don't want to live without you either, Draco. I want us both to live and stay here together always. You said once that because of the war, we would probably be together for the rest of our lives. What if we live longer than that? Would you still stay with me? For the rest of our lives?"

Draco looked up at him. "I can't think of anything else I'd rather do with the rest of my life."

"Good." And with that, Harry placed a gentle kiss on Draco's lips.

It didn't stay gentle though. Harry realized suddenly that it had been a couple days since they had sex and the weight of everything they had been through made him need Draco all the more. The kiss became rough and passionate and hungry. Their hands were roaming everywhere and Harry couldn't get them undressed fast enough. It didn't even matter to Harry that he had almost no sleep in the past two days. What he needed from Draco was more important than sleep. To be honest, it was more important than sex. He needed to feel alive. There was no place he felt that more than inside Draco.


	22. Coming Home Again

**Chapter 22 - Coming Home Again**

Friday morning Mrs. Weasley left for Hogwarts, leaving strict instructions that Ginny was to remain at Godric's Hollow. Officially, Ginny's job with the Order was to help organize the refugees coming from the castle. Unofficially, Mrs. Weasley was being a typical mother trying to keep her children safe and Harry felt increasingly guilty for his part in endangering them. They performed the Fidelius Charm that morning and Harry had decided at the last moment that Mrs. Weasley would be the Secret Keeper. She was in charge of organizing the Hogwarts evacuation, so it would be easiest for her to pass the secret along to those who needed it. Harry didn't mention that he also had no idea where he and the others would be by the time the evacuation started. Tonks, Remus and Professor McGonagall were the only ones who knew of their plans to leave the house that evening. Mrs. Weasley didn't need to be worried any more than she was already.

As soon as she was gone Harry sent an owl to Snape bearing the simple message, _"We know how to end it. Are you in?"_ They received his reply an hour later. It wasn't signed, but Harry would know the Half-Blood Prince's handwriting anywhere. _"Open your floo at one p.m. I will call."_ They did as he asked and opened the floo for calls only and all five of them waited. At exactly one o'clock Severus Snape's head appeared in the fireplace.

"This had better be good. You have no idea the risk I am taking at this moment."

He had the same superior attitude that he'd always had. He acted as if nothing had happened in the last year. As if he hadn't killed Dumbledore. There was no offer of explanation for that incident or for the letters of warning over the past months. There was only that same sneer that he had worn since Harry first laid eyes on him. They glared at each other for several long moments and finally Hermione picked up the conversation.

"We're almost ready to face him, but our plan involves your help."

"And what, Miss Granger, makes you think that I will offer it?"

"You already helped. You saved Remus and warned him about Order headquarters. Voldemort would have already gotten the Ministry if not for you, so let's not play that game."

"What do you want?" he said more harshly.

"I would expect he is planning to attack the Ministry again."

"It is an obvious eventuality, but I do not know when it will take place."

Hermione gave Harry a hard nudge to the ribs. He had been nearly growling in his attempt to keep his rage under control, but he needed to focus. He was leading this little adventure, so he needed to be able to talk about it. Reluctantly, Harry took the hint and leaned toward the fireplace.

"When it happens I will be there. I need you to make sure that he knows I am there. There's no other way to guarantee that he will show up himself, rather than sending his Death Eaters to do his dirty work. I believe that he will come out of hiding if he knows I'm waiting for him."

Snape hesitated. "He will."

"Then I want you to see to it that he's there."

"It sounds like a very elaborate suicide, Potter."

"The only part of this plan that I don't like is trusting you."

"I assure you, that is the least suicidal part of this."

"Fuck!" He jumped out of his seat then, pointing an angry finger at the flames. "You fucking killed Dumbledore and I'm supposed to just trust everything you say?"

"Harry, stop," said Draco quietly. "There will be a time for answers when this is all over. Right now we don't have time to second guess."

Harry glanced down at his boyfriend and his expression softened. Draco was right and he had to control his temper if any of this was going to work. He still wasn't a master Occlumens, but he had learned to keep his emotions in check some. It was time to start practicing that.

Snape's eyes slid from Harry to Draco as Harry took his seat once more, obviously taking in a change in the two of them.

"I see you two have learned to get along. I didn't quite believe when Lucius said it."

"Yes, I know it's completely unbelievable that we haven't killed each other," said Harry impatiently. "That's not the point. We're talking about you."

"No, Potter, we were talking about how to kill the Dark Lord, but you seem more intent on killing yourself."

"Dumbledore believed in me. For some unknown reason, he believed in you too, and that's the only reason why I'm even having this conversation with you."

Snape arched an eyebrow. "He did. I will ensure I am in a position to do as you ask. If anything changes I will contact you via patronus. Do not do anything stupid, such as try to contact me. I will try to send word before the attack as well, but I cannot guarantee anything."

"I understand. And Snape?"

"Yes?"

"This might sound weird, but Voldemort's snake... Will she be there too?"

"More than likely," he answered, although this seemed to confuse him.

"Good. She needs to be there."

Snape looked for a moment like he wanted to question this, but decided that wasting the time just now wasn't worth it.

"Potter, just be sure before you go in. More than your life is at stake."

And then he was gone.

"I still don't like it," said Harry.

"You agreed that Danica couldn't have meant anyone else," said Hermione. Harry scowled at her in response. "We either take a chance on trusting him, or this war goes on indefinitely."

"She's right," said Draco. "Let's get ready."

* * *

They were alone in the Potions lab. The entire house was being checked over for any signs of what they had been doing. Hermione and Ron were making sure that anything having to do with the Horcruxes was safely locked away in Harry's closet. They weren't sure when they would be back and if the Hogwarts evacuation started they had to have the rest of the rooms available for those people. Having trusted them with the task and Ginny with making their dinner, Harry and Draco were free to pack the medical supply bag for the journey to Hogwarts. They had worked mostly in silence other than the occasional request to hand something across the work bench.

"So this is it," said Harry finally.

"This is not _it_, whatever _it_ is." He didn't look up from the Potions bag. "_This_ is us packing up some supplies."

"It's the last Horcrux. And he could attack the Ministry at any moment, so..."

"Leave it to you to ruin the mood," he replied sarcastically.

Harry smiled. Draco had been carefully guarded all morning after his confession of fear and love the night before. Harry didn't know what time they had finally fallen asleep. After the garage, they had continued their love-making in their bed, in the shower, and on the balcony. But that morning Draco had almost gone back to acting the way he had after the Order meeting the day before. He wasn't avoiding Harry, just not really looking at him much.

The rest of the house had been quiet too. Hermione and Ron kept looking at each other. Just looking. Harry had wondered why at first and couldn't place what the look was. But then he got it. Everything they had done that day, from preparing the house for the Hogwarts guests, to choosing a Secret Keeper, had been done with the idea that they may never come back to this house. The look Harry saw was a very private thing. It was encouraging, reassuring and a promise all at once. It was their way of memorizing each other. It was a way to save every last second because at any time the war could change it all.

Draco wouldn't let himself get caught up in the emotion today. Not the way Ron and Hermione could. He had to carry on in his way, and Harry would let him, but not before saying what he needed to.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering how much burn salve to take."

Harry went to the cabinet and retrieved a bottle of the salve for him. He held it across the table, but when Draco reached to take it Harry didn't let go. The blond was forced to look up at the very serious face of his lover.

"What?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being normal."

"Why would I be anything but?"

Harry gave him a "why do you think?" look and continued. "I'm really glad you're with us. And I just wanted to say..."

Draco cut him off abruptly. "We are about to go looking for the last place where Voldemort hid his own soul. It is _not_ the time to get all sentimental." He ripped the potion bottle out of Harry's grasp and placed it in his bag. "Honestly, you'd think you were a Hufflepuff or something. Well, I think that's it. We're prepared for just about anything. And if something comes up that we're not prepared for then it's something that can't be helped."

He zipped up the bag and carried it to the door, ready to join the others in the kitchen. Then Harry's voice called out to him. The blond huffed, clearly annoyed and turned to look at him.

"I just wanted to say, before you go up there and pretend like you don't have a soul, that I love you."

Draco's expression was softened by the small smile he gave Harry. "I never pretend to be without a soul. I just pretend to ignore it on occasion."

Harry crossed the room and gave Draco a soft kiss on the lips. Oh, how he wanted to do so much more to him! He resisted the temptation and opened the lab door, but before he could exit Draco pulled him back and into another kiss.

"I love you too, Harry," he whispered.

Harry smiled and they went to dinner.

The five Godric's Hollow house mates arrived at the Hogwarts gates at ten Friday night. It was like coming home again. Harry hadn't remembered how much he missed this castle. He immediately sent a Patronus message to Hagrid and a few minutes later they heard his heavy steps coming toward them across the dark grounds. Suddenly a thought occurred to Harry.

"Draco," he whispered. "You're not going to say anything rude, are you?"

The blond didn't even spare him a glance. "As long as he doesn't send any giant chickens after me."

They had fallen in love so far away from anything having to do with school that Harry sometimes forgot that their two worlds weren't always compatible. Draco had changed, but some things never would. He was still bitter about what happened with Buckbeak and certainly not a big fan of Hagrid.

"It's so good ter see ya, Harry! Ron, Hermione. Who do we have here? Ginny, 'ello. Ah and the Malfoy boy," there was a slight scowl on Hagrid's face, but he continued to open the gate. "Can't say as I felt too good 'bout you lot takin' up with him. Then I heard what happened with the boy's dad. A terrible thing, that was."

They all filed through the gate, giving Hagrid a hug as they passed.

"A bit surprised when McGonagall said he'd be comin' with ya, but I said to meself, 'Harry knows what he's doin' and if he trusts the boy then he musta changed some.'"

"Hey, you know 'the boy' is standing right here," Draco said in his very superior Malfoy voice. "Would you mind not talking about me like I'm invisible?"

Hagrid's eyebrows shot up and he looked at Harry. "Still a righ' little shit though, if ye ask me."

"Yeah, he is," Harry grinned. "Hagrid, I thought you'd want to know we saw Norberta. She's doing really well."

"Ye did? When? Isn't she still in that colony in Romania?"

"Er... yes. It was a while ago. We, er, had to visit Charlie for something. And you can't tell anyone that we went there because it could cause some trouble for us, but I thought you would want to know that we saw her."

Harry could tell that Hargid was about to get very emotional and he spared a glance at Draco who was looking slightly disgusted by the display.

"I haven't seen 'er since she was just a baby," Hagrid said, wiping his eyes with a large handkerchief. "Dumbledore always said she'd be happier there."

"She is very happy, Hagrid," offered Hermione.

"All the boy dragons seem to like her," piped in Ron.

Harry gave Ron an incredulous look behind Hagrid's back. Ron shrugged and Ginny smacked him in the back of the head. Luckily Hagrid hadn't noticed any of this and he seemed to be getting his tears back under control.

"So where's Remus?" asked Harry.

"He's with Professor McGonagall. She says she wants ter see you lot up in her office before you go doin' whatever it is you're here for."

Harry nodded. He had been wanting to speak to Professor Dumbledore's portrait for some time now and was hoping that McGonagall would allow him. When they reached the gargoyle guarding the Headmistress's office, it was already open and Remus was waiting at the top of the stairs.

"Saw you coming," he said, gesturing to the map. "A bit surprised to see Ginny with you though."

"Mum doesn't know we're here, does she?" asked Ron.

"No. She was helping Poppy in the hospital wing. Now they've probably gone to bed."

Harry took the map from Remus and looked it over, wondering if he was truly ready for this.

"Draco, this is where the entrance is, right?" He nodded. "Everything seems to be in order, then. Keep it Remus, just in case. It won't be much use to us down there."

"You will be careful," said Professor McGonagall.

"You know me. Always careful. Professor, I wondered if it might be possible to speak with Professor Dumbledore for a moment." He nodded toward the portrait and then added, "Privately."

She seemed unsurprised by the request and she and Remus left the room. Suddenly Harry wondered how he would speak to Dumbledore without Ginny knowing what was going on. But he didn't really want to tell her that she had to leave.

As soon as the door closed, Dumbledore began speaking.

"Harry, it is so good to see you!"

"Professor, I... I guess I don't even really know what to say."

"How many have you found?"

"The locket... the one we got that night was a fake."

"I suspected as much, although, I must say I had more pressing matters on my mind just then."

"We found the real one. Regulus Black had it."

Dumbledore nodded as if it made perfect sense.

"Then we found the cup. It was under Gringotts."

Ginny drew in a sharp breath then. She'd been unaware of their excursion into the bank.

"Ah," Dumbledore replied. "Burke's tunnel?"

"Yes."

"And the last one?"

"We've come to get it."

"In the school?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. This was the first thing that seemed to surprise him.

"We went to Romania, but that trip only led us here." For some reason he felt silly telling Dumbledore that they had gotten the information from a Seer in a tent on the mountain. "And it just feels right to me, Sir."

"Well, your instincts are usually correct, my boy."

Which brought Harry to the thing he really wanted to ask Dumbledore.

"Snape?"

"Ah. I am afraid I have to still disagree with you about Severus."

"He killed you!"

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes sparkling. "The world is not divided into black and white, right and wrong. There are shades of gray which you could not possibly understand right now. Take young Mr. Malfoy for example. Last year all you wanted to talk about was how evil he was. Now, he is traveling with you."

Harry hadn't noticed until then that Draco was staying toward the back of the room, uncomfortable being so close to the man that he had tried to kill.

"People change."

"Yes, they do. I am rather surprised at your party. Draco, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Have you been traveling together this whole time?"

"Not Ginny. Draco's been helping us since we left the Dursleys."

Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "Well, don't let me keep you from your search. You have much to do."

Harry nodded back and as the others began to file out of the room, Dumbledore called to him.

"Not everything is as it appears," he said. "Do not use personal grudges to judge others harshly."

Harry wanted badly to ask him why he should trust Severus Snape, but knew that the Headmaster's portrait wouldn't tell him, just as he hadn't told him in life. Harry nodded once more and left.

The dungeons were cold and damp. Harry could remember walking the halls hundreds of times, dreading going to Potions, dreading any class with the Slytherins.

"Home, sweet home, Malfoy?" asked Ron with a shiver.

"At least my house doesn't have to sit on the top of the school to feel important."

"You realize that you're outnumbered, don't you?" laughed Ginny.

"I've stood before Lord Voldemort. A few Gryffindors don't worry me."

"I can do you one better," she replied. "I was possessed by Lord Voldemort."

"You know I just now realized that must be why you're not like the rest of them. Most Gryffindors are overly sentimental and a bit on the slow side, but not you."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to be amused or offended. "So you're saying that the only thing about me you like is the part that may have been influenced by an evil Dark wizard?"

Harry rolled his eyes at their banter, but kept walking.

"I'm just saying you would have been a good Slytherin."

"So I could be like Pansy and follow you around like a lost puppy? No thank you."

"No, you just followed Potter around like a lost puppy."

Now Harry really didn't care for where the conversation was headed. He suspected that Draco and Ginny got along a little too well before and he really didn't want them comparing notes on him.

"Maybe, but he isn't you. I don't like blonds."

"You like me."

"Fat chance, Malfoy."

"I've caught you looking before."

Harry noticed, to his dismay, that Ginny's cheeks were turning pink, even though her expression remained impassive.

"You wish."

"Actually, I don't. I'm not into girls, if you hadn't noticed."

"Oh I noticed. Just like I noticed that the two of you can't remember a silencing charm."

Now it was Harry's cheeks that turned pink.

Draco smirked. "Oh I remembered. I just didn't do it because I knew you were listening at the door."

"Okay, that's enough," said Harry. "I can't handle this constant need to get one over on each other and I certainly don't want my private life discussed!"

"I'm sorry," said Draco, although he didn't look at all sorry. "You're right."

"I'm sorry, too."

They walked in silence for several seconds, but Ginny couldn't hold in her last comment.

"Just so you guys know, if you ever want to have a kid, I'd be glad to let you knock me up."

Draco started laughing while Harry turned bright red.

"Ginny!" Ron scolded. Even his ears had gone scarlet with his sister's announcement.

Hermione coughed. "Could we, er, keep our minds on the task at hand?"

They had reached the Slytherin common room.


	23. The Other Chamber

**Chapter 23 - The Other Chamber**

Draco spoke the password that McGonagall gave him, "blood," and the stone wall slid open. There was no evidence of the children having been there so recently.

"This place is even creepier than the last time we were here," said Ron.

"When were you ever in the Slytherin Common Room, Weasley?"

"Never mind," said Harry. "Where's this secret room?"

Draco was studying Harry suspiciously, but walked to the end of the room where the fire crackled. He counted twelve stone blocks away from the hearth and six up from the floor. Then he held his wand to the stone, bent close to it and whispered another password. Suddenly, a door opened inward and there was the loud sound of scraping stone. Behind the door torches lit up by themselves.

"Not very secret if the entrance is right here in the common room."

"It's not a secret inside Slytherin House. It's just everyone else that doesn't know about it. And we know how to keep our mouths shut about House business."

"So anyone in Slytherin house can go in?"

"No. Only those with the password can go in. And only those who are important enough get the password. Everyone else knows that if they speak of it to anyone, they not only will never get the password, but they also have just betrayed their house."

"What was the password?"

"When was Weasley in my common room?"

"I don't want to know that bad."

"Don't think I'm going to forget to get it out of you."

Harry grinned. "You're going to have to be very persuasive."

"You underestimate me, Potter."

"Get a room, guys," said Ginny. "Where to next?"

They had come fully into the room now and the door scraped shut behind them. There was a large, rectangular table in the middle with high-backed leather chairs placed around it. Five torches on the walls lit the space.

"There's rumored to be another Chamber or something hidden beyond here, but no one I know has ever been there. No one knows how to open it."

"Five torches," Hermione murmured. "Four walls, but five torches. This wall has two and the others only have one each. Why?"

"They've tried the torches I think. It's the most obvious choice. But they don't move and there's nothing in the stones around them to indicate a door, I think the few who have tried gave up. Most of us don't really care. This room is where Voldemort began meeting with Death Eaters, and that's all that's important to most people. We've pretty much decided that the chamber beyond it is a myth."

"But none of those people who tried were parselmouths. That could make a difference. Let's look for snakes like the ones Harry followed in Gringotts."

Hermione went straight to one of the torches, while Draco took the second one on that wall. Nothing. None of the torches held any clues to a secret door. Hermione wasn't satisfied with that. She walked between the two torches on the same wall, looking for any differences in them. Finally she stood in the middle looking up at the stone.

"It's definitely the torches. They don't cast shadows."

"Huh?"

"Look. Walk around them. You'll see your shadow if you stand in the light of any of the others. These two don't give shadows. I'm just trying to figure out what that means exactly."

She raised her wand and did some silent spells on them. But nothing happened.

"They can't be put out and they don't cast shadows, so they aren't actually lit."

"Then why can we see them burning? It looks completely real."

"Magic," she replied simply. "They light up, but they're not giving off light. I think if we put out the all the other torches in here we would be in total darkness. We would see these, but they wouldn't provide any light for us to see anything else."

"What does that mean then?"

In answer she whipped around and put out the other three torches. Sure enough, the room had become pitch black. Harry could see the two orange dots that were the other torches, but there was no light coming from them. He could hear the others moving and the complete blackness was making him uneasy.

"Just as I thought. I'm standing right next to it, but I can't even see my own hand in front of my face. It's not hot either. And lumos isn't working in here."

Harry jumped when suddenly a hand brushed his arm in the darkness.

"It's just me," Draco whispered. His hand reached Harry's and gripped it tightly. This must be what being blind was like.

"Hermione, is there a point to this?" Harry asked, finding his voice much more anxious than intended.

"Just a minute, I'm thinking. I was rather hoping the other lights being out would reveal something, but..."

Harry could hear more movement and Draco pressed closer to him. Draco wasn't generally scared of the dark, but this wasn't just a matter of turning out lights. This _felt_ dark. It felt cold and empty and lonely.

"You better hurry," said Ginny, and it was obvious to Harry that she was trying to cover up the nervousness in her voice. "You don't really want to be alone in a dark room with Harry and Draco, do you?"

"As if I would allow you the privilege," Draco replied. It didn't have his usual bite to it. He sounded every bit as ill at ease as Harry felt.

"Hermione," Ron's voice was also shaky, "we really need to speed this up. I can't... It feels... I don't know. It feels almost like Dementors."

Harry realized that was exactly what it felt like. The longer they stood in the dark he felt every bit of hope draining out of him and then he had a sudden idea. The only light that worked against that kind of darkness was...

"A Patronus."

There was a pause and Harry could almost hear the wheels turning in Hermione's head.

"That could work. Do it."

"Now?"

"Unless you'd like to wait around in the dark a bit longer."

And then there was light. Harry directed the stag to the space between the two torches and then, instinctively, he focused as much power as he could at the wall. All at once green light burst from the wall, so bright that Harry had to turn away. His loss of concentration made the stag fade to mist and they were alone in the darkness again. But when he opened his eyes fully he realized that the orange torches were gone. In their place were two green flames and in the center of them was a beautiful, glowing snake curled into an "S" on the stone wall. He took a step closer to it and whispered "open" in parseltongue. A second later he jumped back as the door opened loudly. Finally there was real light around them, coming from more torches beyond the door.

"You're a genius, Hermione," Harry smiled and went through the door.

The stone passage beyond was dimly lit by normal torches spaced about every twenty feet. It had a steep downward slope, leading even farther under the school.

"What do you think, oh fearless leader?" Ginny asked Harry.

"I think... I think we're going the right way."

"Will this lead to the Chamber?"

"I think we're somewhere above the Chamber. You remember how deep that was."

There was a slight pause while a disgusting thought occurred to her. "Do you suppose Dumbledore ever had anyone clean up the dead basilisk?"

That was a good question. Suddenly the thought of seeing the Chamber again sounded even worse.

"Wait just a minute," said Draco. "You mean to tell me that there may be a giant snake corpse laying around here decomposing?"

Harry nodded. "I killed it when I was twelve."

"I thought that story was something you made up to make yourself more popular," said Draco.

"No, if I wanted popularity I would have told everyone about the time I stupified Professor Snape in the Shrieking Shack. Hey, Gin, look at these carvings."

Ginny looked where Harry was pointing at decorative pillars with snakes on them carved out of the wall. They were a smaller scale of the actual pillars that lined the Chamber. Harry ran his hand along that cool stone. So long ago and yet he remembered it completely.

"Brings back some memories," Ginny replied dryly.

"I've got one question," said Draco. "Has everyone been down there except me?"

Harry began walking along the passage. "Hermione was petrified in the hospital wing at the time. And Ron had to babysit Professor Lockhart when he obliviated himself, so he didn't make it all the way to the Chamber."

"And you killed a Basilisk and she was possessed by Voldemort?"

"You just summed up our second year wonderfully."

"So when was Weasley in my common room?"

Harry merely chuckled, knowing how much it was killing Draco to keep it from him.

They continued for several more minutes, while Harry felt along the walls for traces of magic. There were more ornate carvings, mostly of snakes and other images of the founders. Sometimes Harry stopped to get a closer look, but there was no sign of any extra magic there. In fact, the magic around them was getting weaker the deeper they went. They were farther away from the castle's magic and it would make it easier to find any of Voldemort's changes.

After fifteen minutes, they came to a fork. Harry felt around, looking for the little snake that had guided them through the bank. There was nothing. With a shrug, Harry led them to the left. It was darker down there and they all lit their wands. Out of the darkness was something that caused Harry to jump and he stopped so abruptly that Ron ran into his back. He could see the outline of something on the floor ahead. What's more, their passage had opened into a larger chamber and their little wand light could not push away the dark.

"What is that," whispered Hermione.

Harry slowly crept closer, holding his wand out in front of him. It was shiny and still, and then Harry realized what it must be.

"Snake skin. This must be where it lived when it wasn't roaming the tunnels."

He continued confidently into the room, knowing that the creature was long dead. Each wall had tunnels leading off to the school plumbing that the monster had used to attack students. On the last wall there was only one tunnel opening, but it was different than the rest. It didn't seem to lead anywhere, but rather opened into something bigger. Harry crouched down and climbed inside it himself, feeling around for the end and clues as to where it might lead. Crawling on all fours, his hands spread out in front of him, he felt the smooth stone edge. This hole opened up into a whole other room and Harry had a feeling he knew exactly where he was. He held his lit wand out and peered into the Chamber. He could only see shadows on the floor below, but he knew what it was.

"What is it?" asked Draco from behind him. They were all still standing in the snake's lair. "Where are we?"

"I'm in Salazar Slytherin's mouth," he replied, crawling back out. Ginny gasped, remembering the huge statue of the Slytherin founder. "And the answer is no, they never cleaned up the basilisk."

After that, Harry decided they would go back to the fork and take the other direction. That tunnel was more of the same and it continued even deeper. The air was cold down there and it had been a while since Harry felt anything magical apart from the torches that lit their way. Part of him was beginning to wonder if they were on the right track. But then, he reasoned, they had found a secret passage in Slytherin, so there must be _something_ at the end of it.

And what would they find? More traps Harry supposed. Was it really fair bringing Ginny with them when there could be any number of dangers there? She had said she was willing to go into dangerous situations, but Harry couldn't help feeling a nervous about it. He still couldn't shake that feeling that something very bad was going to happen that night.

It wasn't long before a door came into view. There were ornate carvings all around it, but no markings to say what was behind it.

"A little fancy for the dungeons," Ginny commented.

Harry reached forward and turned the handle. The door opened easily enough and as he walked in torches magically lit the inside. He stood still, taking in his surroundings. He was in an office of sorts. It was about the size of the common room and, to their left, there was a sitting area with comfortable chairs and another door. To the right was a desk, some bookshelves and a small potions lab.

"Will you move?" Draco asked, tapping Harry on the back.

It was only then he realized that he was blocking the way and the four people in the hall were waiting to see exactly what was behind the door. He moved aside while everyone entered.

"What is this place?" asked Ginny.

"I would guess Salazar Slytherin's private chambers," replied Hermione. "They couldn't have all used the current Headmaster office. And I read once that the current common room and dorms weren't used until the fifteenth century, so he wouldn't have had to go through the students' area to get to it."

Over the fireplace hung a huge portrait of four people, the founders. All four subjects were sleeping- Godric and Salazar leaning comfortably against each other- and Harry wondered if perhaps portraits became less active over time. He went over to the desk where dusty papers still sat, some in neat piles, others scattered and crumpled. Some had to do with classes. A roster of Slytherin House. Then Harry picked up a crumpled sheet of parchment and straightened it out.

_Godric,_

_It is unfortunate how things had to end, but I cannot stay here another moment considering the current situation. Helga and Rowena, it seems, have agreed with you on the matter and I am again overruled. When we agreed to start the school, we agreed on compromise, but all of my demands have been overlooked and I will not stand by to see all we have worked for diluted by impurity._

_Many years from now, I will return to the school and you and the others will pay for your betrayal, old friend._

_-Salazar _

"Look at this," said Harry, holding the letter out for Draco.

He read it quickly and furrowed his brow in thought. "Why would he have left a letter for Godric Gryffindor in his own office?"

"Godric must have come down here often. Do you remember that biographer you mentioned a few months ago? I think maybe he was right about them."

"That they were lovers?"

Harry shrugged. "We can't be the only Gryffindor-Slytherin couple in history."

Draco smiled at him thinking of secret dungeon rendezvous and quick kisses in the dark corners of the castle. A brief moment of regret passed through him as he thought about all those years at school they wasted on fighting when they could have been sneaking around to do more enjoyable things.

"He didn't even bother cleaning up his potions before he left," Hermione called from across the room, bringing them both back to the present. "From the notes here, I'd say it's thousand-year-old sleeping potion."

"That stuff gets more potent after it sits," Draco commented. "It would be a great poison by now."

"More like dried out powder."

"I'm feeling a bit lost and useless here," said Ginny. "Will you tell me now what we're looking for?"

"A mirror," Draco answered.

"A mirror? Don't you stand in front of enough mirrors at home? You have to have another one?"

"Your wit and humor astound me, Weaselette. This one belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. It's silver and has a Latin inscription on the back of it."

"Can I ask why this is so important?"

"No," said Harry.

"You're as bad as mum."

"I'm worse because I know the important stuff and I still don't tell."

"Any ideas where it is?"

"I think it's in there," said Harry, pointing to the door near the sitting room area.

"You feel it?"

"No, just a guess, since it's not out here. If Voldemort did hide it down here we would have seen some sign of it here, so I think it's behind the door. In the bedroom of his greatest ancestor."

"Let's go in then," said Ginny. She was heading for the door with her hand ready to take the handle, but Harry stopped her.

"No! Let me first. I'll see if it's safe." She gave him a questioning look. "Later we'll tell you what happened the last time we went looking for something Voldemort hid. Just trust me that it could be very dangerous. If you want to turn back, now is the time."

"You can't ditch me that easily. If Malfoy can do it, then so can I," she finished with a smirk.

"I resent that."

Harry took a deep breath and turned to the door. "Okay. Here it goes."

He reached his hand out to the door, feeling a slight tingle as his flesh drew closer to the brass handle. Very slowly, careful to not miss anything important in the magical field, he grasped the cool metal. The others had expected him to turn the handle, but he withdrew his hand quickly.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, anxious.

"Wards. Locking wards. We have to break them before it will let us enter."

"A password?" Ron offered.

"No." Harry shook his head, thinking hard. "It was him though. The magical signature is Voldemort's."

"You can tell for sure," Hermione asked.

"His is unique. It isn't like when you guys have cast a spell to help me practice. Voldemort's leaves a specific feeling. It's him. Which means that the last one is behind this door. You know the most about wards, Hermione, do you think you can break them?"

"What kind?"

"It restricts everyone, but him I think. I don't know."

Hermione lifted her wand and aimed a few silent spells at the door. Draco wandered back to the desk while they worked and looked over Slytherins paper. He had always been fascinated by the founder of his house, and no one could expect him to pass up this rare opportunity to find out more about such a great man. Harry and Ron were too concerned with Hermione's work to give him much notice, but Ginny followed him to the desk.

"Anything useful in there?"

"Useful to us? No. Interesting? Yes. You may as well grab a book because there's no telling how long it will take them to crack the wards." He sat down at the desk prepared to snoop through every drawer.

"Do you think she can?"

"If anyone can, it's Granger," Draco said, but then he quickly scowled at his own slip. "If you tell anyone I said that, you're dead."

Ginny grinned. "Your secret is safe with me."

He continued to look through Slytherin's things, but could feel her eyes on him.

"You're good for Harry I think. I wasn't sure at first."

"It isn't up to you to decide what's good for him."

"No, you're right. I want you to know that I didn't mean to make either of you uncomfortable with what I said earlier. About knocking me up."

"Sure you did. You wouldn't have said it unless you were trying to get to him. It's okay. He's fun to wind up."

"He is. I just didn't want you to think I was trying to make a move on him. Or you for that matter."

"I didn't."

They were quiet for a few more moments before she spoke again.

"What are you going to do after the war?"

"Isn't it a little early to make post war plans? The bastard isn't even dead yet."

"Humor me."

"I am going to try to stay out of prison. If I can't manage it, then maybe we can at least set up conjugal visits."

"Prison sex could be hot."

"I prefer comfortable mattress sex. No handcuffs or chains involved unless it's of my own choosing."

"Still, hot."

Draco smiled. If he was going to be stuck with Weasleys in his life, then he was glad that he could relate to at least one of them. He was comfortable around her and she wasn't easily offended. Suddenly he was overcome by the realization that he actually might like Harry's friends and it left a sick feeling in his stomach. Deciding he had better do something about it quickly, he got up and crossed the room.

"Merlin, Granger, you haven't figured it out yet? At this rate it would be easier to just go ask the Dark Lord himself to open it."

She scowled at him, but said nothing. Ron was the one to quickly come to her defense.

"If it's so easy, Malfoy, then why don't you figure it out!"

He kept Ron distracted with arguing while Hermione and Harry worked out the details of the wards. Before long, Harry was casting the last in a long series of counter spells on the door.

Hermione's hand reached out to the handle, ignoring Ron's protective protests. It turned easily and she glanced up at Harry with a grin. They all had their wands out as she pushed the door open. No torches lit up for them this time, which Harry took as an ominous sign. Not nearly as ominous though as the terrible hissing sound that he registered next. He whispered a quick lumos and immediately found the source of the sound. Hundreds of snakes filled the room. There were many different kinds, all hissing angrily, coming toward them. Hermione screamed and jumped backwards, falling into Harry in the process. How long had Voldemort kept them locked away in this room? And how had they survived? Harry stepped forward and began speaking to them in parseltongue.

"_What are you all doing here?"_

The snakes closest to the door stopped and stared at him in awe.

"_We were placed here to guard a secret," _one of them replied. He was a brilliant emerald green, the most unnatural-looking snake Harry had ever seen. Looking around, he noticed several others that had his coloring, but the others seemed to regard him as their leader, as they all stayed back, allowing him to speak for them. _"Our ancestors were left here by one who could speak to us, like the great wizards of the past."_

"_How long have you been here?"_

"_Several generations. The story of our purpose was passed on to us. They have told us that a man who could speak to us would someday come back for his treasure and we would be freed. Are you him?"_

"_Er... yes?" _Harry answered uncertainly. Would they attack if he wasn't the one intended? _"I was sent by him to retrieve his treasure."_

The snake regarded him shrewdly and then slithered a bit to the right so see those standing behind him.

"_You have brought others. The first one did not."_

Harry had to do some quick thinking. In retrospect, it probably was foolish to bring so many people on the Horcrux search, but there was nothing to be done about that now.

"_He sent us to ensure that we did not fail. Could you show us where it is? We will free you."_

The snake narrowed his eyes at him and he heard Hermione make a soft whimpering sound behind him. It must have looked odd to the others, not being able to understand the conversation. It probably seemed to them that the snake was getting ready to attack. Harry wasn't even sure if these snakes were poisonous. Knowing Voldemort, they probably were. Finally the snake answered.

"_Only you may enter. Your other friends must wait in the outer room."_

Harry nodded and turned back to his friends.

"He says I have to go in alone. They won't allow you all in."

"So they can just pick us off one at a time? I don't think so, Potter."

"What do you suggest then, _Malfoy_? There are too many of them to kill without risking destroying the entire room. If we all bust in there throwing curses we may never find the mirror."

Draco glared at him for several moments, but didn't reply. It was likely that Harry would have to go in alone. Just like at Gringotts, they had to play by Voldemort's rules.

"I'm not going to die," said Harry.

"You're too stubborn to die anyway," Draco replied. Harry knew it was as close to a public display of affection he was going to get. It was Draco's way of saying, "be careful, I love you."

Harry turned to Hermione. "Any words of wisdom?"

She glanced behind him to the snakes and cringed. "Don't get bitten."

"I expected better from you," he almost laughed. The smartest person he knew and that was all she had to say at this moment. "Anyone else have snake-charming advice?"

Ginny and Ron both shook their heads. Harry took a deep breath and reentered the snake room. He wasn't entirely surprised that the door shut behind him automatically, leaving him alone with the snakes. He lit two lamps so that his wand would be free for other things if need be.

"_Where is it?" _he asked the leader.

Without a sound the emerald leader led him to a trunk at the foot of the bed. There had to be spell on it. It couldn't be so simple, but the snake didn't offer him any further information. Harry did not, however, like the way the snake was looking at him. He was entirely too smug. Almost the way Draco looked when he won another argument with Ron. This was going to be very bad, but Harry couldn't see another way around it. They needed that Horcrux and fast. Voldemort could, at this very moment be attacking the Ministry.

Harry bent and put his hands on the trunk. It was now or never. It opened without hesitation and inside lay only one object, the silver hand mirror belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw. Harry glanced back up at the snake who waited patiently with the same expression. He reached in and took a deep breath before grabbing the mirror firmly with his left hand, his right hand still gripping his wand. Just as he mirror cleared the top of the trunk, he heard a beautiful female voice coming from the mirror itself.

"You are not Slytherin's heir," she said.

Harry had a brief moment of panic before remembering that the snakes couldn't understand unless she spoke in Parseltongue. He let out a sigh of relief, but it seemed it was too soon. The mirror began to glow green and vibrate hard, shaking his entire body with its force. It was the signal to alarm the snakes.

"_He is not the one,"_ hissed the leader. _"Stop him!"_

Harry spun around and fired off hexes at the advancing snakes, sending them soaring through the air, but it wasn't enough. He was tempted to light them on fire, but then he would run the risk of burning himself. Somehow he blasted a path do the door, but it wouldn't open again. The wards had reset themselves.

"Hermione! The wards!"

There were too many snakes to ignore long enough to go through the series of spells needed to unlock the wards. Every time he blasted a bunch of them away more came from every corner of the room. He could see them slithering out of holes in the walls, apparently coming from other rooms and tunnels

"Hermione hurry and open the fucking door!"

"What's going on in there?" yelled Draco.

"They've invited us all over for tea– what the fuck do you think? I can't open the door on my own. Hurry!"

He could hear her going through the spells, but it had taken several of them to get in. Harry was backed against the door. Simple shield charms weren't working in this room and he wasn't sure how long he could keep hexing them. How many more might there be beyond those walls? It seemed like he was there for hours and finally he heard Hermione shriek "I got it!" He realized too late that he had been leaning heavily against the door and when it opened he stumbled forward. He was only on the floor for a few seconds, but it was enough. One of the emerald snakes seized the opportunity and darted out at him, snapping his fangs down on Harry's leg. Harry screamed, more from surprise than from pain, and scrambled back out of the door, ripping the one off his leg as he went. Ginny and Draco held the snakes off while Ron slammed the door shut on them.

"Harry, you're bitten," said Hermione, examining the wound on his leg.

"Yeah," he panted, almost laughing at himself despite the situation. "The one piece of advice you gave and I fucked it up."


	24. Perfect Timing

**Chapter 24 - Perfect Timing**

Harry limped back into the Slytherin Common Room with the help of Draco and Ron. When he ripped the snake off his leg, the wound had opened further and began bleeding. Draco and Hermione knew enough to not heal it until they had somehow gotten the venom out of his system. Hermione and Ginny had already run ahead to the potions supplies cupboard with strict instructions from Draco to bring back every antidote they could find. He wasn't sure what kind of venom it was, but there had to be something in there that would help.

The stubborn git was still trying to walk on his own even after falling nearly a dozen times in the relatively short journey. The poison was moving quickly.

"Should we try to get him up to the hospital wing?" Ron asked.

"I can walk up there," Harry mumbled. His eyes were unfocused, yet he was still trying to be brave. _Fucking Gryffindors_, Draco thought.

"No," the blond began, ignoring Harry's feeble attempt at convincing them. "Here, lay him on the sofa. He shouldn't move any more than necessary. I've got to try to slow circulation more until we have an antidote."

Ron looked down at Harry's pale form and swallowed hard. "Do you think there is one?" he whispered to Draco.

Draco winced at the words. It was the one thought that he'd been trying to avoid himself. Snape had kept the school well stocked with a variety of potions that wouldn't have been found in most medical cabinets. In fact, there were things he had seen in Snape's office that Draco doubted could be found anywhere outside of Knockturn Alley, but had they cleaned all that out when Snape left the school? Weasley was looking to him for an answer.

"I... I don't know what kind of snake it was. It wasn't something familiar. Perhaps something bred special for the Horcrux."

He could tell that was of little comfort to Weasley. Not that he really cared how Weasley felt about it. Draco was much more concerned about saving Harry. Then he heard Harry rasp something incoherent from the sofa and he went over to comfort him.

"The... Horcrux..."

"Yes, you got it. It's okay. Just don't talk right now, you need to relax, just don't go to sleep."

"No. Horcrux... Ask it..."

Draco was hoping that he heard Harry wrong. Could it be even worse than he thought? Was the venom rushing through his body faster than they could have predicted and making him hallucinate? Draco looked up and Weasley was equally alarmed.

"Harry... just hold in there until Granger comes back – "

"Draco!"

It seemed to take most of Harry's strength to say that one word, but it got the blond's attention and he waited for him to speak again.

"Ask the bloody Horcrux... The mirror will know..."

Draco mentally slapped himself. The mirror that had once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw was supposed to be all-knowing. Not wasting another moment, Draco reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out the Horcrux. How would it behave though, with Voldemort's soul inside it? Would it tell him the truth, or could Voldemort control the voice of the mirror?

"Mirror... Er..." He looked up at Weasley, feeling stupid talking to a mirror. "Mirror, can you help me?"

The silver seemed to sparkle more brightly in the low torch light for a few moments and then and soft female voice answered.

"Slytherin's heir prevents me from doing so."

"Fuck!" Draco swore loudly.

"Mirror," Ron began, "if we kill him, will it hurt you?"

Draco spun around, surprised that Weasley was using his brain for once. The mirror took several moments to contemplate her answer, then spoke a simple "no."

"Would you like the honor, Weasley?"

He shrugged. "You're better with Dark magic than me."

Draco took out his wand and pointed it at the back of the mirror.

"Avada Kedavra."

Immediately the mirror cracked open. There was a hideous scream and a puff of black as the piece of Voldemort's soul was torn from the mirror. Afterwards, there was no change to the glass surface on the front of the mirror.

"Can you help us now, Mirror?"

"I can."

"What kind of snake bit Harry?"

"They were bred as pets for Salazar Slytherin. A combination of many poisonous snakes, including basilisk. Very deadly."

"Basilisk? He's been bitten by one before, right Weasley?"

"Phoenix tears cured him."

"That may have made him immune to the basilisk venom and slow the process, but it will not save him."

"Is there an anti-venom?"

"Salazar had one made in case of accidents. It was kept in his personal lab."

"Would it still be good after all this time?"

"Salazar kept it sealed in a way to ensure its survival. It will have weakened some, but will save your friend if administered in time."

"How long does he have?"

"Perhaps an hour from when he was bitten, assuming he is immune to the Basilisk."

"Shit, it's already been, what, twenty minutes?"

Ron nodded.

"I'm going back in for the potion."

"It is at the top of the ingredient's cupboard, labeled 'for Godric.'"

Draco nodded, although he wasn't quite sure that the mirror could see him and turned back to the sofa, kneeling next to Harry.

"I'll... be... fine..."

"I know you will," Draco whispered. "I'm going to use a mild freezing spell on you. It will slow down the blood flow in your body until I get back with the anti-venom. It might buy us a few minutes. Lie perfectly still and don't try to warm up."

"As long as you... warm me up... when you get back."

"Leave it to you to think of sex at a time like this."

Draco did the freezing spell and stood face to face with Ron.

"Don't let him fall asleep. If I don't make it back in time..."

"Hermione will find something in the potions supply I'm sure."

Draco nodded and raced back into the secret passage.

It seemed to take forever to get back to Slytherin's room. Draco didn't think of himself as out of shape, but he certainly hadn't run this much in... well, he didn't think he had ever run this much. All he kept thinking of was Harry laying back there in the common room, possibly dying. Once inside Slytherin's lab he tore open cupboards looking for the labeled vial. Finally he saw it. On the highest shelf, tucked behind other supplies. The ink was faded with age, but Draco could still make out the carefully written script. "For Godric." The other man must have visited the dungeons quite a bit for Salazar to have made a cure just for him, Draco thought, running back down the passage. Godric was probably the only other person in the world who knew of the potion's existence. Everyone else would have gotten what they deserved by intruding on Slytherin's private space. He wondered if Salazar had loved Godric the way that he loved Harry. Would he have been this panicked upon knowing that his lover had been bitten?

He burst back into the common room with the potion. Hermione and Ginny had returned with what looked like half the potions in Snape's storeroom.

"Oh thank goodness," said Hermione. "We weren't sure you'd be back in time. We were getting ready to try these other potions."

"Here, drink this," said Draco, ignoring her and tilting the bottle up to Harry's mouth.

"Tastes horrible."

"You say that about all potions."

"Do you feel any different, mate?"

"Not yet."

"Mirror," said Hermione, "will he be okay?"

"I believe so, although his body needs rest now."

"I'm going to heal the wound now."

Harry tried to reach his pant leg, but Draco forced him back on his back and Hermione pulled it up herself to cast the necessary spells. Then he felt a rush of warmth and realized that Draco had released the freezing charm.

"What do we do with the mirror?"

"Do not tell anyone about me until the Heir of Slytherin is destroyed," the mirror said.

"She's right of course," said Draco. "He'll know what we're up to if word gets out this has been found. I'm going to seal it back in the room for now."

"Why would he know?" asked Ginny. "And why can't I know? Why was the mirror hidden there?"

Harry looked to the others seriously. He didn't really want to tell anyone else, but he couldn't find a good excuse to keep it from her any longer.

"Let's just get Harry home first," said Hermione. "Then we'll talk about that."

"Are you getting any strength back?"

"I feel loads better. I can– "

The Slytherin common room door burst open and Remus and McGonagall entered, looking worried.

"What happened? I saw you come back in on the map and then everyone running around. Is everything okay?"

Harry winced as he struggled to stand.

"Everything is fine. We just needed a couple things out of the potions supply cupboard."

"You're hurt."

"Nothing that won't heal."

"Where did you go?"

Harry started to say that he couldn't tell them that, but a great light burst through the wall and a larger-than-normal-size, silvery bat stopped, floating midair in front of Harry. Although he had never before seen this particular Patronus, somehow he knew that it was going to speak with Severus Snape's voice.

"It begins shortly. I will wait to deliver the message when I confirm you are in place."

It faded into nothing, leaving Harry feeling a little lightheaded. Voldemort had such perfect timing. Just when Harry was his weakest the attack on the Ministry was starting. Harry collapsed back down on the sofa, laughing in a demented sort of way.

"That was Severus," said McGonagall. She looked quite alarmed and Harry couldn't blame her. "What was that? What begins shortly?"

Harry rubbed his forehead in frustration, letting Hermione answer.

"You need to start evacuating the castle. They're attacking the Ministry."

"You're sure?" asked a wide-eyed Remus.

Harry nodded and Remus ran out of the room to start sending messages warning the Order at the Ministry. McGonagall began to leave to start the evacuation, but turned at the door. She looked Harry over closely, taking in his pale complection and sweaty brow.

"What will you do?"

"I told you what I'm planning. We have to go to the Ministry."

"But you're hurt."

"Nothing that won't heal," he repeated. "It has to be now. We may not get another good chance."

"Harry," said Ginny, "maybe you should reconsider it. You're not ready to fight right now."

"I'm afraid I agree," McGonagall said.

"This is going to end tonight. We're going."

McGonagall nodded. "I'll send Pomona along to your home to open the floo for the evacuation. We've only got one other safe house right now, I'm afraid, so expect a crowded house when you return. And you _will_ be returning."

Harry smiled. Yes, one way or another he would return to Godric's Hollow. After she was gone Harry grabbed the medical bag.

"Okay, let's get me patched up. The bite wound is healing I think and the anti-venom worked. Now I just need some Pepper-Up potion maybe. Any ideas?"

Nobody made a move to help him.

"What?"

"Harry, you can't..." Hermione couldn't even finish her sentence and he could see tears building up.

"Don't you crack on me now. We end this tonight."

"Mate, you aren't in any condition to fight. You almost died."

Harry could feel the anger bubbling up in him and he lashed out with sarcasm. "So? I've almost died loads of times before. It's my favorite hobby. I'll be fine. Draco?"

There were no words exchanged. Draco looked tired, like he wanted nothing more than to agree with Ron and Hermione and go home. But he knew that they weren't going anywhere except to the Ministry. Reluctantly, he bent down and started pulling potions out of the bag.

"I think we could all use a little Pepper-Up. And a strengthening potion for you. You look like shit."

Each of them took a drink from the Pepper-Up potion and Harry took the strengthening potion from Draco.

"Thank you."

Draco nodded and put the potions back in the bag. Harry was already feeling better as they made their way through the castle, even if he was walking with a bit of a limp. The evacuation was starting and people were running every where. House elves were coming out of the kitchen, bringing bags of food.

"Harry Potter, sir!"

Dobby was running toward them, his ears flopping behind him.

"Dobby did not know that Harry Potter was here!"

"I'm not staying, Dobby."

"Yes, Harry Potter must leave! They say He Who Must Not Be Named is coming!"

"Not if I can help it, Dobby. I'm going to stop him. I need you to help me out. I want you to go to Mrs. Weasley and ask her if she will tell you the secret. Once she tells you, go to the place she says and help Professor Spout get people settled when they arrive. There's loads of food in the kitchen for them. The only place they can't go is in the big bedroom upstairs. It's the only one that's locked. The other rooms can be used however you need."

"Harry Potter is not coming, sir?"

"No. I'll be home soon, but Mrs. Weasley could really need your help now."

"I will do whatever Harry Potter asks!" And with crack, he was gone.

They sent a message to Tonks and she returned it, saying that she was opening one fireplace for them to floo in. They arrived a few minutes later in the Atrium. Harry noticed with some disgust that the Fountain of Magical Brethren had been restored to exactly how it had been before Dumbledore's duel with Voldemort.

"You're just in time," Tonks said. "They're outside working on bringing down the wards as we speak. We contacted the muggle Prime Minister and he's cleared this part of town. Kingsley made up something about a gas leak to keep the muggles out of the area."

"Are they going to get in?"

"Eventually. From the looks of it everyone they've got are all out there working on it. Once that's done they can apparate in. And if they go about it the right way, they'll be able to directly apparate into any level they want. We've got some of the Ministry people working on blocking them, but so far they haven't had much luck."

"How many to they have?"

"Not sure. More than we have. We've been sending out alerts all over for anyone willing to fight. Last I heard from Remus he was going to join them on the outside after the evacuation was underway."

"They were in the process of it when we left. Are they going to attack from outside?"

She shook her head. "They're too outnumbered up there. More than likely they'll wait until they break through the wards and then come in to join us. I didn't want to take the chance on opening the floo any more than necessary."

Harry was just wondering if he was lucky enough to have a chance to rest a bit before the battle started when the whole building shook and he could feel a wave of magical energy pass through him. The wards would fall at any moment. Tonk's eyes widened and she ran off calling for Moody.

"Let's go sit down for a few minutes," said Hermione. "There's nothing we can do until it happens anyway."

"No. We have to stay alert. If I sit down at this point I might not get back up."

"What happened to adrenaline keeping you going for days?"

Draco was smirking when he said it and Harry was glad that somebody was actually trying to lighten the mood instead of looking at him like he was about to die.

"Being bitten by an ancient poisonous snake tends to wear me out," he replied.

"Ginny? Ron? What the hell are you two doing here?"

They had been spotted by Bill Weasley, who was striding toward them looking furious. Fleur wasn't far behind him.

"Shit," Ginny mumbled under her breath.

"We're here to fight," said Ron.

"No you're not! Does Mum know that Ginny left the safe house? Who's helping with the evacuation?"

"It's being taken care of," Harry answered.

"That doesn't mean that Ginny should be here."

"Bill, I can do as I like."

"We might not be able to stop Ron, but you're still underage and you need to go!"

"My whole family is fighting and there's no way you or anyone else is going to stop me from helping!"

Harry recognized the tone, as it had been used on him recently, and backed away, just in case Ginny should try to hex her brother.

"Evacuating _is_ helping."

"The evacuation is under control and you need more fighters here. I have just as much right to be here as you! I can fight just as well as any of you!"

"This is why we didn't try to stop her," said Ron. "She's scary like Mum."

"You both better hope Mum doesn't find out about this." He let out a long, tired sigh. It seemed Ginny had won the argument for now. "Percy is upstairs with the Minister. The twins will be along as soon as the evacuation is under control. Mum and Dad probably won't come since they're Secret Keepers. Charlie owled yesterday. He's on his way. It seems he has the same idea as you, Ginny, about not being left out. Just... be careful. All of you."

Fleur had remained silent during the entire exchange and then followed Bill when he left them. She gave them a reassuring smile as she passed, but she looked worried. She had almost lost her husband before they were even married. Now, a year later they were both going into battle again.

There was a loud banging sound and the Atrium vibrated again with the powerful magic from outside. Harry could feel it getting stronger and then he felt something else that he hadn't felt in nearly two years. His scar tingled. Voldemort had been using Occlumency against him ever since their last meeting. It didn't make sense that now he would have let down his defenses. The tingling grew to dull pain and then to throbbing as the Ministry continued to shake around them.

"Harry?"

It was Ginny who noticed first that Harry was holding his head, doubled over with pain.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"Harry?" asked Hermione. "Harry, is it your scar? You have to try to block him out. Are you listening? Push him out of your mind. He cannot see what we've been doing!"

"He's not trying to," Harry finally managed after the initial pain had subsided. "I think he's here. He's bringing down the wards. He's outside right now."

The building gave one last great shake and they could all feel the hum of the wards cease. Then, all around them, there were the pops of apparition as Death Eaters filled the Atrium.

Harry found himself separated from his friends almost immediately by the curses being fired from all directions. The pain in his head was beginning to get more manageable. Either that or he was just becoming accustomed to it being there after such a long absence. Harry joined the fight, firing off stunning spells at every Death Eater he passed. More pops of apparition came from all around him as he spotted more familiar faces. Remus, Neville, Dean and Luna all joined the battle quickly. It was hard to keep track of what was going on exactly. There were flashes of light and smoke and far too many people.

It wasn't long before Harry ended up near the golden gate that led to the lifts that would take passengers to every level of the Ministry. He had just finished disarming and binding Rookwood when he heard his name being called from beyond the gate.

"Potter, get in here. I can't be seen out there. I'll be hexed by both sides if they see me talking to you."

"Snape!"

Harry quickly ran into the lift room and went behind the wall so that they couldn't be seen. Of course Harry didn't really they would be noticed by anyone in the Atrium as they were all a bit preoccupied.

"He is here. Nagini with him."

Harry nodded. "Will he come in?"

"Shortly. He wants to make sure that he is winning. Then he can come in and conquer your morale with his presence," Snape said dryly. "Luckily for us he has ordered that anyone who sees you is to report to him immediately and they are not to kill you. He wants that pleasure for himself."

"Good, what are you waiting for then? Go tell him!"

"Just because he has ordered them to keep you alive for him does not mean that it will happen..." Snape trailed off, looking closely at him. "You don't look well, Potter."

"I'm fine."

But Harry knew if he looked anything like he felt, it wasn't going to fool Snape. His breathing was a bit fast, even for being in a battle and he felt like he could sleep forever.

"You are not fine. Have you been cursed?"

"As if you care about my health. What were you saying about them not killing me?"

Snape scowled at him but made no further comment about how he looked. "Lucius Malfoy wants revenge. He blames you for Draco's betrayal."

"I'd like a few words with Lucius myself."

"Lucius has been unpredictable ever since he realized Draco was not dead. He may not even care what the Dark Lord has ordered. Do not invite trouble."

"Just being me invites enough trouble."

"Arrogant little twit, just like–"

But Snape broke off abruptly when he found Harry's wand pointed to his throat.

"Go on and say it. Like my father? I've had a really bad night, Snape, and it's only getting worse. Comments about my parents will only invite trouble for _you_. I'm here because my father and mother died for me. I'm only trying to avenge them. Are you going to help me or not?"

Snape didn't seem at all concerned by the wand that was poking into his windpipe, but at the mention of Harry's parents he scowled. The older man pushed him away roughly.

"Of course I am still going to help. Whatever you may think about me, I do not go back on my word. I was only wondering what your plan was."

"All you need to know, _sir_," Harry accented the word with a glare, "is that I need him here now."

"You had better know what you are doing."

With a swish of his robes he was gone. Harry made for the gate to rejoin the battle, but it burst open before he reached it and the battle joined him instead.


	25. Revenge

****Remember that note at chapter 1 about character deaths? Consider this your final warning…**

**Chapter 25 - Revenge**

Harry's scar was still burning, but he could tell that Voldemort had not yet entered the building. He was tiring fast and the bite on his leg ached. It would have to happen soon or the plan wouldn't work.

Death Eaters began opening the doors to the lifts and he heard Bellatrix shriek something about finding the Minister. He ran to the nearest lift to try to stop them, but then noticed among the new arrivals in the lift room was Lucius Malfoy who had somehow ended up dueling Ron. Harry knew Ron wouldn't last long against the elder Malfoy.

He joined in the fight without hesitation, but Lucius only seemed pleased to have more competition.

"Potter! Just the person I wanted to see tonight!"

"I thought your boss wanted to take care of me personally."

Lucius Malfoy was quick and Harry wondered how Draco had held out against him as long as he had the night at Remus' house.

"He wouldn't mind I'm sure if I accidentally hit you instead of your friend."

"How about if you just decide to be a real father and turn around and not cause Draco any more pain?"

"After you, Draco will be the next to go!"

Harry had hoped that aggravating Lucius would cause him to falter, but he only fought back harder and dirtier. There were curses Harry didn't recognize flying at them now and it was all they could do to block and dodge. Harry was trying not to use fatal spells for fear he would miss and hit someone from their side, but Lucius didn't care who he hit. He was firing off killing curses as fast as he could think them and Harry knew that eventually one would find its target.

Harry tried to get as far away from Ron as he could, thinking that it would be harder for Lucius to fire curses in opposite directions. It was, but the older man was still too quick. Harry effectively blocked a hex from Lucius only to look up in time to see the jet of green light fly toward his best friend. Harry could hear himself screaming as if from a distance and knew before it happened that he could do nothing. Ron was just a few seconds too slow and the curse hit him in the chest. Harry, who had begun running at Lucius, stopped, frozen as Ron fell, an expression of shock still on his face. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real. Somewhere in the large room Hermione had seen it happen. He could hear her scream in a voice so high pitched and frantic that he wasn't sure how he knew that it was her.

Lucius turned, smirking at what he had just done. Harry was only a few feet away from the blond man and Lucius was ready to take advantage of his moments of shock. He was not ready for Harry to recover in time to dodge his next killing curse. He dove forward, landing to the left of Lucius' feet. Lucius was turning, making ready to fire one last curse at his prey. But then a quick memory flashed through Harry's mind. The glint of silver in the man's left boot. Harry didn't have time to wonder if it would still be there. He rolled over and grabbed for it. As soon as his hand found the cool metal of the dagger he slashed at Lucius' leg, hoping to throw his concentration long enough to bring him down.

Lucius gave a great shout of pain and his stance faltered giving Harry time to jump to his feet. With only rage driving him, Harry lunged at him, plunging the knife into his chest up to the hilt. Harry let go of it with a little push, letting Lucius fall to the ground. The man was gasping for breath and Harry knew he didn't have much time left. He kicked Lucius' wand away from him and bent low.

"I promised Draco that you would never hurt him again. This is for him and for Ron."

Harry looked up to see Hermione kneeling next to Ron's body. Her eyes were fixed with pure hatred on Lucius. Harry stood then, eyes searching the room for Draco, realizing in horror that he had just killed Draco's father. He barely registered the rest of the battle going on around him. His eyes finally found what they were looking for. Draco was busy dueling one of the Death Eaters on the other side of the room and Harry couldn't tell if he had seen what had happened with Lucius. Of course he'd known that his father would either die or be sent to Azkaban. But he couldn't have known his own lover would do the deed, and Harry was more than a little nervous about his reaction.

Harry was brought back to reality by Hermione screaming "Get the snake!" He turned to see Nagini just entering the room and in search a victim. Harry was sickened to notice that she already had blood dripping out of her mouth and he knew what kind of mess he would find in the Atrium. Lord Voldemort wouldn't be that far behind her. Harry was firing off spells at her, but she disappeared into the chaos and Hermione followed after her.

Harry heard Bellatrix's screeching voice again and turned to see Ginny and Neville dueling her. She seemed to be enjoying herself. She was laughing with every curse she fired. Harry was about to help them when his scar split open. He nearly fell over from the sudden force of the pain. Voldemort had arrived.

When he had gotten his bearings again, Harry ran back into the Atrium where Kingsley and Tonks were already dueling him. Harry was shocked at how many people lay scattered across the floor. He hadn't been in the lift room for that long, but now there were countless bodies littering the Atrium. What was worse was that he recognized many of them. Mad-Eye Moody's lifeless form lay sprawled in an unnatural position. Both eyes stared up in a way that made Harry sick. He ducked behind the fountain to decide what his next move would be, only to notice Nagini's victim, Seamus. He turned away and nearly vomited into the fountain. He'd never seen so much blood before.

"There's Potter!" he heard someone cry.

Harry looked up to see two very familiar faces. Crabbe and Goyle, looking as big and dumb as ever in their Death Eater robes. They were brandishing their wands at him, but Harry was less concerned about them and more concerned about being caught off guard with the morons when Voldemort finally realized he was only just across the room. Harry's quick wand work and seeker reflexes were paying off. Crabbe went down easily and Goyle seemed less confident once his friend wasn't by his side. His face was suddenly frozen in his typical dumb look as he fell backwards in a Body Bind.

With them down, Harry was free to turn his attention back to Voldemort. Instead of Tonks and Kingsley though, he was shocked to find Remus standing by Kingsley. Harry searched the room frantically for Tonks and found her lying just a few feet from the fountain. Without thinking he ran to her, falling down at her side. Her face was bloody and the side of her head bore a huge cut where she had landed on the floor and rubble.

"Tonks! Don't be..." but Harry couldn't even finish the sentence. The thought of one more friend gone was too much for him.

She was breathing though. Just barely. Harry opened the neck of her robes a little to help, but didn't know what else to do for her. He couldn't see anything still bleeding and he wasn't as good with healing charms anyway.

He stood again, ready to go after Voldemort himself, but just as he was leaving the spot where Tonks lay his wand flew suddenly out of his hands and behind him. He whipped around to see Dolohov standing just behind him, holding his wand and grinning.

"I've got his wand, my Lord! Harry Potter is defenseless!"

Harry turned back to Voldemort who seemed suddenly bored with Kingsley and Remus. His glowing red eyes were fixed on Harry. And then he disappeared. They all looked around desperately for him and Harry remembered another time when Voldemort had done this in the very same room. Surely he knew better than to try to possess Harry again though. So what was his game?

In Voldemort's absence Remus concentrated on Dolohov, trying to get Harry's wand back. Kingsley ran to his side and they had him disarmed and stupefied in moments. Kingsley was holding Harry's wand, ready to toss it back to him when his scar seared with white hot pain. Harry clutched his forehead as Voldemort reappeared before him. Without a moment for anyone else to process what was going on, he fired a Killing Curse at Kingsley. The wizard dropped, both his wand and Harry's clattering on the floor.

"No!" yelled Harry.

He could hear Voldemort laughing at him and knew he wouldn't have time to reach his wand. He ran, mentally preparing himself for the worst, but the killing curse never came. Instead, he was surprised to hear hissed parseltongue.

"_Finish him, my pet."_

Harry's head jerked up at that. He hadn't noticed that Nagini had reentered the Atrium, but she was racing toward him, her owner looking on with a twisted smile. Knowing that she was faster, Harry still dove for his wand. He knew she would catch him. He would feel her fangs sink into him and Lord Voldemort would watch him die. He grabbed his wand from next to Kingsley's body and twisted around, pointing his wand up where he knew the snake would be. She was inches from him now, her head reared up to strike, and he squeezed his wand preparing to yell out the Killing Curse. But he never got the chance.

"Avada Kedavra!"

He watched as the snake fell with the thud to the floor and his mind registered the familiar voice that had uttered such harsh words. Hermione stood several feet away, still holding her wand outward, staring at the scaly carcass. She looked unlike herself. Her eyes were wide and blazing, her hair sticking out like a mad woman, and he was having a hard time believing that it was Hermione who had actually used an Unforgivable Curse.

Nagini was dead.

The last Horcrux was destroyed.

Voldemort was mortal once again.

And he was angry.

"No! You stupid girl!"

The monster rounded on her so that she barely had time to change direction of her wand. But Harry was once again in control of his own wand and cast a shield around her. He wasn't sure what had happened to Remus, but he didn't have time to look around for him.

"Voldemort!"

"We'll finish this after I dispose of your little friend, Potter!"

"_No. We'll finish this now, Tom!"_ Harry hissed in parseltongue.

Voldemort ignored Hermione, who had ducked behind the fountain, and turned back to face Harry.

"_The snake was a poor choice for Horcrux."_

Harry continued in Parseltongue, knowing the conversation would be private. Voldemort's eyes widened in shock at Harry's revelation and Harry knew he had to keep talking. The more enraged the man got, the more chance for mistake. But Harry had now ensured that Voldemort wouldn't try to kill him. He would hex him and try to get him to talk, but he couldn't kill Harry until he knew how far his secret had spread.

"How?"

"Dumbledore knew you even better than you thought. You didn't really think that you could beat him, did you?"

"Dumbledore is dead!" he shrieked.

"But he had six years to give me your secrets. You should have done it right the first time, Tom."

Voldemort's slit nostrils seemed to flare in anger and he lunged at Harry, who dodged him again. When Voldemort faced him a smile began to form as he composed himself once more.

"So you know. But Nagini was not the only one."

"Oh I know." Voldemort's smile faltered briefly. "But your younger self watched me destroy the diary. You know that's gone. As for the others..." Harry shrugged. "Was it worth so much? To live forever?" Harry's right hand held tight to his wand while his left slowly reached into his shirt to pull out the locket that he had been wearing for nearly a year.

It was working. Voldemort was flustered and scared-looking. Harry had only seen him that way once, when their wands connected the night Voldemort regained his body.

"How many do you have?"

"Several."

"Ah, but was it enough?"

Harry shrugged, unconcerned. "I guess we'll find out."

"There's no possible way you could have retrieved them all."

"There's no way I should have survived your killing curse either, but here I am."

Voldemort let out a tremendous yell of anger and they continued battling. Harry was glad for all the hours of dueling practice that his friends had put him through. He wasn't really Voldemort's equal like the prophecy had said. For Voldemort had knowledge and power beyond anything Harry had ever even wanted. But Harry had determination and the memory of all those who had died because of this man, and that was enough.

There were bodies everywhere. One had to carefully maneuver around them, which proved difficult whilst diving and blocking curses. Harry narrowly dodged a jet of red, but in the process tripped over a dead auror. Somewhere before hitting the ground Harry's wand slipped from his fingers. Time seemed to slow down as he scrambled to grab it again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw an evil grin spread across his enemy's face and a wand raising. He could hear Hermione and he thought Remus call his name, but all his mind could process was the fact that he had lost hold of his wand for the second time that evening and it was imperative that he get it back. Then he heard something that caught him completely off guard.

"Potter!"

It was Snape. Where he came from Harry did not know, but there he stood, ten feet away, wand pointed out.

"Don't Severus. He's mine."

And just as Voldemort sent another jet of light at Harry, he saw a shield pop out in front of him and absorb the spell. It gave Harry time to grab his wand again and he turned to watch Voldemort slowly turn to his servant.

"Severus..." It was almost a hiss, although he was not speaking parseltongue. It was low and calm, but there were waves of anger radiating off him. His most trusted servant was protecting the enemy.

"Finish it, Potter." He didn't even look at Harry when he said it. His eyes were fixed on his one-time master, glittering with hate.

"I would have given you power."

"But you could never give back what you already took."

There were mere seconds to act. Voldemort raised his wand, the Killing Curse ready on his lips, but Snape didn't even try to defend himself, instead keeping the Shield Charm over Harry. But Harry didn't waste time and raised his own wand to Voldemort without hesitation. For Mum and Dad. For Sirius. For Dumbledore. For Ron.

"Avada Kedavra."


	26. Truth

**Chapter 26 - Truth**

"Avada Kedavra!"

In the longest, most surreal moment of Harry's life, he watched the greatest Dark wizard in the world fall in death. It was done. The Death Eaters must have known something was very wrong. They paused in their fighting to look around, some grabbing their left arm where the Dark Mark was placed. Harry finally looked at Snape, who was still staring at Lord Voldemort's body. He had dropped the Shield Charm, but hadn't moved from where he stood. He looked exhausted– more than Harry had ever seen him– and Harry found his anger and hatred for the man suddenly withered. Snape had saved him and had almost died himself to keep Harry protected. After everything that had gone on between them. After killing Dumbledore. Snape contributed to the fall of the Dark Lord. For months after Dumbledore died Harry had planned their final showdown in his head. He couldn't wait to give Snape just what he thought the man deserved. Now Harry was just confused.

Snape slowly met his gaze. The former professor didn't have the same proud, upright posture as before. He didn't sneer and narrow his eyes. He was slumped and rather ragged. The dark circles under his eyes gave away the truth. More than eighteen years of secrets and lies finally ended. He added up Danica's advice with the regret he saw in the man's unguarded eyes. He didn't know the whole story. He didn't know _why_ Snape did what he did, but he knew that this man had suffered as much as he had. In the midst of the chaos and death the two shared a moment of understating– a first between them.

"Harry!" Draco was running toward them. Past him Harry saw Hermione heading back into the lift room, knowing that she was going to sit with Ron. Draco glanced down at Voldemort's body as he passed, shuddering.

"Harry it's over. For real this time. The Mark is fading. Look." He lift his sleeve just enough and ginned, looking up at Harry.

"I know. I feel it too," Harry replied, rubbing his scar.

"Do you need more Pepper-Up or anything? Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine. Draco, listen... Lucius..."

"Harry, I know. It's... I saw." Draco paused and glanced around the room. "There are too many aurors around. I have to go before I'm recognized."

Harry grabbed him and pulled him into a tight embrace. When he let go he said, "Take Snape with you and go to Grimmauld Place. I'll be there as soon as I can."

He couldn't risk Snape getting away before giving the answers Harry needed, but he knew he had far more important responsibilities right now.

Members of the Order who weren't busy containing the remaining Death Eaters were approaching him. Some asked if it was really over. Others congratulated him. Most looked tired and beat up. Harry gave them all the same nod without looking anyone in the eyes. Cries of pain and loss blended with the shouts of celebration. On the other side of the room Bill appeared to be using every healing charm he knew for Mundungus Fletcher. Near the fountain Dean was discovering the body of his best friend. Not far from there he saw Remus helping Tonks to sit up. She looked a bit dazed and more than a little bloody, but she would make it. He noticed a suspicious flash of silver from under a cloak. When he moved the cloth away he was pleased to see Wormtail lying there among the dead. But there, surrounded by death and suffering, Peter Pettigrew's lifeless body didn't bring the satisfaction that Harry had thought it would. He let the cloak drop back down over the man's face and drew his full attention to the main reason he stayed behind.

Upon entering the lift room he spotted them right away. Fleur was standing next to Hermione and she looked at him when he approached. Her face was already streaked with tears and she pulled him into a hug.

"I am so sorry, 'Arry."

He didn't know what to say in response. So finally he offered her the one bit of comfort he could.

"Bill is in the other room. He's fine."

"Oh, thank Merlin. I should go..." she glanced down at Ron, "... tell 'im."

Harry nodded and turned his attention back to the two people on the floor. Hermione had closed his eyes and drew his cloak over him so that he looked much more peaceful. She held one of his hands in both of hers as she cried silently. Harry sat down beside her and she immediately leaned on his shoulder and began sobbing. They were soon joined by Bill, Fleur, Tonks and Remus. No one spoke for the longest time and Harry wondered where the other Weasley brothers and Ginny were, but he was too afraid to ask.

He got the answer a few minutes later when he heard Ginny's laughter float to them from one of the lifts. She was with one of the twins and they were both smiling, undoubtedly celebrating the victory. She noticed them first and clutched her brother's arm as her expression went quickly from amused to sick. She let go and ran forward while either Fred or George stood in shock at the sight of his little brother dead. Bill stepped forward quickly and caught Ginny, letting her cry into his chest.

Several minutes later an auror came to tell Harry that the Minister was on his way down to talk to him. Harry replied that he would meet Scrimgeour in the Atrium and the man left. Hermione had stopped crying for the moment and let him stand to go meet the Minister.

"I need to go to Mum and Dad," said Bill. "I don't want them finding out from anyone else and word is probably traveling fast."

"I'll go to Dad," said Fred. The wards were still down in the building and he disappartated almost immediately.

"I'll go to Hogwarts."

Harry nodded and made his way back to the Atrium. He hadn't wanted to go back in there, past all the bodies, but he hadn't been willing to have a possible confrontation with Scrimgeour in front of Hermione and the Weasleys.

It was worse this time. Word had indeed spread fast, and people seemed to be flooding into the Ministry in search of loved ones. As Harry waited Mr. Weasley appeared in the apparition area. Fred wasn't with him, but he had certainly heard the news from someone. His eyes were wide and searching and when he saw Harry he grabbed him by both arms.

"Where?"

Harry found himself suddenly mute and gestured as best he could toward the lift room. He almost fell when the man let him go and ran to join his family. Hopefully Bill would at least get to his mother before the news reached her. He remembered seeing Mrs. Weasley's boggart years ago at Grimmauld Place and the thought of her finding out about her son from some random witch or wizard was unbearable.

Rufus Scrimgeour arrived moments later, jaw wide open as he took in the site. When he saw Harry he rushed over as fast as his bad leg would take him.

"What happened down here? I was told You-Know-Who is dead!"

Harry almost rolled his eyes at the man's question. _Probably the same thing that happened upstairs where you were hiding, _he thought.

"He is dead. And there are things you should know. First of all, there are a number of Death Eaters who got away. They apparated when they saw their lord fall. I can give you a list of most of their names. I suggest getting a team of aurors together right away to find them before they all leave to go into hiding."

"Now see here–"

"I also have to tell you that Severus Snape was here tonight, but he was not fighting for Voldemort. He saved my life and helped me kill Voldemort."

"Where is he now?" Scrimgeour looked around as if expecting Snape to jump out at him.

"I assume you want to arrest him."

"Well, of course. I don't much care who he helped or saved. The man is still a Death Eater and he killed Albus Dumbledore!"

It only took Harry a moment to make his decision. He knew the Ministry's justice too well to trust the Minister and he decided that, in this one matter, he would take the law into his own hands.

"He disappartated just after it was over. No one could stop him in time."

The minister narrowed his eyes as if he didn't quite believe Harry.

"I want you to stop looking for Draco Malfoy also."

"Wait just a moment! You can't tell me what to do!"

"Malfoy fought on our side, as several here can testify. He's worked with my friends and me the last several months to ensure that when this day came, Voldemort would remain dead. He deserves a full pardon." He unwaveringly met the Minister's eyes. There was no room for negotiation here.

Scrimgeour finally nodded. "How do you know he's really dead?"

"His body is laying about fifteen feet that way." Harry pointed.

"Yes...but how do you know he won't come back?"

Harry thought for a moment. He had already decided not to tell anyone about Horcruxes, lest another Dark Lord should find it a good idea. But what would he tell people? Then the answer came to him and he smiled slyly.

"I am the Chosen One."

And with that he turned his back on the Minister and returned to where he was most needed.

Now the whole Weasley family had assembled. Both twins and Percy had arrived. Bill had returned with Mrs. Weasley who was now sobbing into her husband's shoulder. Hermione hadn't moved. An hour later, after they had arranged to have him moved and convinced Mrs. Weasley to go back to Godric's Hollow, Hermione still refused to leave.

Harry cried with her and held her, the whole time convincing himself it was all a nightmare and he would wake up to Draco's soothing embrace. He needed that now. He was selfish, he knew. He wanted to be comforted right now, not comfort anyone else. Hermione kept saying Ron's name over and over again. Each time she said it he drew closer to accepting the truth of it, and for a moment he hated her for it. He wanted to shake her until she stopped talking, stopped saying his name. But he didn't.

Finally exhaustion hit Hermione and she couldn't argue with him anymore. Harry apparated them both to Godric's Hollow, finding it surprisingly quiet. He guessed that most had returned to Hogwarts now that there wasn't a reason to evacuate. They climbed the stairs and Ginny met them at the front door.

"I was waiting. The family is in the kitchen."

Hermione gave her a hug. "I'll be in to join you all in a few minutes, but could I talk to Harry for a bit first?"

Ginny nodded and then turned to Harry. "Is Draco okay?"

"He's with Snape. I have to go meet with them."

"I'll tell Mum you're still busy with the Ministry."

After the door shut behind her Hermione sat down on the top step and Harry joined her.

"Do you need anything before I go?"

She looked into his eyes, her own filling back up with tears.

"I'm so sorry Harry."

He wasn't prepared for that. They were all hurting. Why should she be sorry for him any more than herself or his family?

"We all miss him..."

"No, not for that." She took a deep, shuddering breath and continued. "When I thought the snake was going to kill you, all I could think of was that I didn't want to be alone. I just lost Ron and if you died too then I wouldn't have anyone. And I was scared because I wouldn't know what to do alone." She leaned into his shoulder and began to weep again.

"Shh. It's ok. That's not wrong."

"Yes, it is. It's so selfish. I wasn't scared for you or your pain. I was only worried about me. Because what would I do without you? It's always been... the three of us. I don't know how to be alone."

"Well..." He didn't have any idea how to respond to that really. He certainly didn't blame her for thoughts she had in moments of panic and loss. So instead he tried for humor. "You'd still have Malfoy."

Hermione made a face and hit him on the arm, but Harry could see the first attempt at a smile.

"Yes," she said. "Couldn't you just see me discussing house elf liberation over tea and biscuits with Draco Malfoy?"

Harry laughed at that image, but then quickly sobered. "I'm sorry too, Hermione. I'm sorry I couldn't save him. You know I would trade places with him if I could."

"I know. And it's not your fault. I know you've never believed that before, but I hope you will now."

"I just miss him so much already."

"Me too."

* * *

Harry entered Grimmauld Place silently to not disturb Mrs. Black. Draco didn't appear to be anywhere in the front of the house, so he continued to the kitchen where he found Draco and Snape both sipping tea at the table. Draco jumped up as soon as the door swung open.

"I was just about to go looking for you."

"I'm sorry. The Weasleys... and then Hermione, well... I think she's okay now." Draco pulled him into a hug. "I just couldn't leave them right away. They're all gathered at the house now."

"I was so worried about you. I felt it through the Mark and when I didn't see you right away..." he trailed off, cupping Harry's face in his hands. "But you're okay, right? I'm sorry about Weasley."

Draco let go of his face and pulled him back into another embrace.

"No Draco, I'm sorry... your father."

"I told you months ago that Lucius was no longer my father. I would have killed him myself if you hadn't done it."

"He'll never hurt you again," Harry murmured against his lover's neck.

A sudden, familiar cough caused them to both jump apart as if they had been burned. They had both nearly forgotten that they weren't alone. Their former Potions Master had been watching their exchange closely through narrowed eyes.

"War makes the strangest couples."

Harry raised an eyebrow and sat across from the man.

"So what are you going to do with me, Potter?"

"That's a good question. One floo call and they take you to Azkaban."

Snape nodded, but seemed unconcerned with the threat. He had regained some of his normal composure, although Harry could still see the exhaustion in his eyes.

"I want to hear it from you. Dumbledore told me for years I could trust you, but I want you to say it and explain."

Snape closed his eyes and took a deep slow breath.

"I was loyal to Albus Dumbledore since before your parents died."

"Why did you kill him?"

Snape sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"When I found out that Draco was given that task I told Albus immediately. Before we could do anything about it, Narcissa came to me begging for help. Bellatrix was with her and was the caster of the Unbreakable Vow. I figured no harm could come of my helping Draco, so I agreed. When Narcissa added the part about finishing the task if Draco could not I had no choice but to agree. Bella was always looking for ways to prove my disloyalty to the Dark Lord and Albus had always told me that I was to keep my position as spy at all costs. I told him the very next morning..."

"_If only Bellatrix wasn't with her!" Snape pounded his fist on the arm of the chair and then slumped in defeat._

_Albus only stood and went to the window. They were silent for a few moments, Snape having run out of story to tell. When Albus finally did speak it was in that light, conversational tone that he always used, even when the world seemed to be ending. _

"_So you are saying that either you or I must die soon."_

"_Don't be daft, Albus. Draco won't succeed where great wizards have failed. He's doesn't have it in him. He will fail, and I will die."_

"_Severus, you took an oath and, as a man of honor, I will not stand for you breaking it."_

"_I–what?" As sick feeling began for form in Severus' stomach. "But then I'd have to... Albus, I am NOT going to kill you."_

"_Those were the terms of the vow, were they not?"_

"_But of course I'm not really–"_

"_Severus, we agreed when Lord Voldemort returned that you must hold your position as spy no matter what. You are far more valuable than I."_

"_You know that's not–."_

"_My boy, this is not modesty; it is truth. I am old and already maimed enough," he said, indicating his injured hand._

_The sick feeling in Severus' stomach grew and he stayed silent._

"_You told me once you were willing to do anything to make up for the past. You promised me long ago. I only ask that you continue to uphold that promise."_

"_No, you are asking me to kill you," Snape said in a strained voice. "Who will defeat him if you're gone?"_

"_Harry is almost ready."_

"_Potter's hot-tempered and foolish. No match for the Dark Lord."_

"_He is strong. Like his parents. I find it both sad and amusing that you can hate him so much for things that happened before he was born. He looks so much like his father that you fail to see how much he is like his mother too. I wonder, would you hate him so much if he looked more like her instead?" Dumbledore smiled pleasantly, but Snape only scowled and turned away. "It is because of Lord Voldemort that his life is the way it is and therefore he deserves to be the 'Chosen One' and finish the monster once and for all._

"_I am concerned about young Mr. Malfoy, however. This task was designed to kill him and punish Lucius, I am sure. Draco must realize this and so must be considering the notion that he does not really wish to serve such a master. This may be our chance, not only to save him, but to bring the Malfoys to the Order."_

"_I'm not laughing, Dumbledore."_

"_I am afraid I am quite serious. I fear, however, if we confront him, Lord Voldemort will find out and he will kill them all and it may out you in the process. No, you must council the boy– on his mother's orders of course."_

"_Of course."_

"_Promise me, Severus, you will do all you can to ensure that Harry will have a spy in Lord Voldemort's ranks. I want to die knowing that he will be defeated."_

"_Albus..."_

"_Grant an old man one last request," Dumbledore asked, his eyes pleading over the top of his half-moon spectacles._

_Snape sighed, but looked straight into those blue eyes._

"_I promise. I'll do it."_

"And so I did. And I have hated myself for it more than you ever could. We fought about it throughout the year. I kept trying to get him to change his mind. But, as I told you earlier tonight, I do not go back on my word."

Harry nodded. It made sense so far. "Dumbledore told me that you switched sides originally because you were sorry about sending Voldemort after my parents. But I was always under the impression that you hated them."

"No. No, I didn't hate them. Only your father. I don't care what kind of supposedly wonderful person James Potter turned out to be. There are...some things I could never forgive him for. But I never hated your mother. When I found out the Dark Lord was going after them, I asked him to spare her."

Harry felt something move in his stomach when he realized where this was headed, but plunged ahead with the questions that had been in his mind for so long. "Voldemort told me that she didn't need to die. That he would have let her live if she hadn't tried to protect me. Why did you ask him to do that?" he asked, although he already felt knew the answer.

Snape took a deep breath before continuing his story. "Everyone loved Lily. She was an extraordinary woman. She was kind; one of the only people who ever showed me true kindness and friendship. I was realistic. I knew that there was no way I could have her or ever deserve her, but even after she married him, I never wanted anything to happen to her. When I found out that they had been targeted I went to the Dark Lord and asked him to wait and see if there was any other way. He said that all he wanted was you and that he would spare her if possible, but I went to Dumbledore instead. I knew her well enough to know that she would never save herself. That is the truth and that is why he believed me."

"You loved my mother."

"Not that she ever knew it. She was a good friend, but she wasn't... She was so popular, and I..." For the first time in Harry's memory Snape was having a hard time saying what he was thinking. "You have had people tell you your whole life what an amazing witch she was, but she was much more than that. I am sorry you never knew her."

Harry nodded, but didn't look at Snape during the last bit, as he had suddenly found the tablecloth terribly interesting. Danica's words played through his head. The power that Voldemort never understood was love and he had indeed been betrayed by one who possessed that power. He may have known that his servant was infatuated with Lily Potter, but he could have never understood such an emotion that would turn Snape against him.

Harry finally did look up at the man.

"I talked to the Minister. He knows how you helped in the battle, but he still intends to arrest you for Dumbledore's death."

"I can expect no less."

"I told him you disapparated after the battle. No one knows where you went. For whatever reason, I believe you. I don't like you, but I believe you."

Snape was, for the second time that morning, speechless. Draco appeared to be shocked as well.

"You realize, of course Snape, this means you'll have to leave England. I will look the other way, but I probably can't do much if you get caught. They won't care that I believe your story. They'll still lock you up for Dumbledore. I'll do what I can to clear your name, but I can't make any promises you'll be able to come back."

Snape nodded. "I'll leave straight away. Except..."

"Yes?"

"I...would like to visit his grave once before I leave."

"Yes." Harry looked to Draco who nodded back at the unspoken question. "I think that would do us all some good."

They apparated to the forest, just outside of the Hogwarts apparition barriers. From there Harry silently led them to the grave site careful to stay in the shadows. Sounds of celebration could be heard from Hogsmeade. Even the school, which had been mostly evacuated earlier that night, seemed alive. The sun was beginning to peak up over the horizon. It had been a long night and Harry was starting to feel the need for his warm bed. Draco and Harry stopped short of the grave to allow Snape some privacy.

The older man strode purposefully to the tomb and placed a hand on the white marble. He was quiet for several seconds, running a hand back and forth. Finally he whispered barely loud enough for Harry and Draco to hear.

"It is done, Headmaster. Thank you... for everything."

He sighed and turned around to face Harry and Draco.

"As much as it pains me to be in your debt, thank you, Potter." He looked conflicted for a moment, as if deciding what to say next. And then Harry understood why. "You are truly Lily's son. She would be proud of you."

He shook Harry's hand and Harry understood just how much pride he had to swallow that night. He had not only admitted to Harry his reasons for turning against Voldemort, but had admitted that perhaps he had been wrong about him all this time. Then he turned to Draco.

"You are, of course, welcome to join me and avoid any unpleasantness from the Ministry. It may even be good to have some company."

"Thank you, but my place is here," he said, nodding toward Harry.

"I thought as much. I don't think even Albus, as omniscient as he was, could have predicted such a union."

And with a swish of his cloak, he turned toward the forest to disapparate.

Harry and Draco approached the grave and stood in silence for a few minutes before Harry motioned that they should leave. They began the walk hand in hand back across the grounds in silence. When they had almost reached the gate Draco turned to Harry.

"So how do you feel now?"

"Sad. A bit empty. I'm not really sure what to do now. My whole life since age eleven was school and Voldemort. Now both are over. I suppose there will be Death Eater trials that I'll have to attend. And funerals. God, I can't even begin to think about that. I can't believe he's gone."

"You don't have to think of it tonight. Let's just go home."

Harry nodded. "When everything is over maybe we could find a deserted tropical island somewhere. Somewhere the Prophet wouldn't find me."

"My parents had a house in Bermuda, but you wouldn't want to go there."

"Why not?"

"Because that's probably where all the Death Eaters are going to hide. That's where a lot of them went last time. Not safe at all."

"In Bermuda?"

"And the surrounding area. Who do you think makes all those muggle ships disappear?"

"Death Eaters?"

"Dark Wizards throughout the years. It amuses them to confuse the muggles with that whole business about the cursed Triangle."

"Well, then we'll go somewhere else."

"Paris? Amsterdam?"

"I was thinking of someplace remote and quiet."

"India? South America? Iceland?"

"How about all of them?" asked Harry.

"I could fuck you on every continent. That could take a while, you know."

"Luckily, as it turns out, the rest of our lives is going to be a bit longer than we originally thought."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You're such a sappy romantic, Potter."


	27. Nineteen Years Later

**The Last Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading my little story. Thanks for all the reviews, encouragement and even criticism during the past twenty-six chapters. This epilogue was the only part of the story conceived after the release of Deathly Hallows and it was written **_**because of**_** that book. Originally I wasn't even sure I would have an epilogue, but after being left slightly unsatisfied with JKR's epi, I decided I **_**had**_** to have one of my own. I hope you enjoy it and thanks again for your support! **

**Epilogue - Nineteen Years Later**

"Nick, hurry up. You're going to be late."

The boy was too busy looking around at the large train station and forgot that his dad had slept in again. He pushed the trolley faster toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten. He'd never been through there before, but his dad had told him every detail of his first trip there. He was a little carried away as he crossed the barrier and nearly ran into his father's legs before slowing to the same speed that both his parents were using.

"Next year, can I take a flying car like you did?"

"That car is lost out in the Forbidden Forest. And you're not to go looking for it, even if Hagrid asks you to."

"Then how about your flying motorbike?"

"Absolutely not."

The little dark-haired boy scowled at his dad and then turned to his other parent. "Father?"

The blond man laughed. "Trust me that you don't want to copy everything your dad did at school."

"But I want to have adventures and kill Dark wizards!"

"What have you been telling this kid about me?"

"It wasn't me. He must have gotten it from his mum. Or one of the thousand cousins and uncles."

"Sure, blame it all on them," Harry scowled at his husband, but then looked back at his son. "It's time to get on the train."

"But Mum said she was coming down to see me off."

"We just barely made it here in time. If she's not here yet, then I doubt she's coming."

"There she is," said Draco, pointing through the crowd of parents. "Oh, and Hermione too."

"Aunt Hermione!" The boy ran to the open arms of his honorary aunt. "Where's Uncle Justin?"

"At work, but he wanted me to tell you to have a good year. Maybe when you come home for Christmas the baby will be here."

"Can I name him?"

Hermione smiled. This wasn't the first time he had asked her this. "How about you owl me your suggestions for names and I'll let you know what we decide."

"Okay. But you should know that I'm still leaning toward Edward or Blake."

"What if I have a girl?" asked Hermione.

Nick scrunched up his face in a way that looked oddly like Draco. Clearly he had not thought of this possibility.

"I'll keep you posted," he answered in his most grown up voice.

"You almost missed him," said Harry.

"I wouldn't miss this!" said Ginny, hugging her son tightly.

"I promise to listen to all your games on the Wireless, Mum."

"Only the ones that aren't past your bed time. I better not get any owls about you falling behind because of Quidditch."

"I won't. I'm gonna be a Seeker like you and Dad and Father were in school!"

"You won't be this year," said Harry. "You can't even have your own broom yet."

"But you were Seeker in your first year!"

"That's because your dad always got whatever he wanted and the teachers never punished him for doing bad things," said Draco.

"Watch it," Harry muttered, "or I'll tell your son that you had to buy your way onto your house team."

Draco cleared his throat. "So you're all ready?"

Nick nodded. "Do you think I'll be in Gryffindor?"

"You'd better not be!" Answered Draco and Harry jabbed him hard in the ribs. "But we'll still love you no matter what house you're in. Just don't let it be Hufflepuff."

"Draco!"

"What? The kid is Harry Potter's son' he'd better not be a Hufflepuff. What would people say?"

"That what house people are in obviously isn't genetic," Harry rolled his eyes and looked back to their son. "What your father is trying to say, and screwing up, is that you can be in whatever house you need to be in. Okay?"

Nick nodded. He looked up at Harry with big, green eyes and whispered, "what if I'm in Hufflepuff?"

Harry smiled. "Then you will be my favorite Hufflepuff. And your father will have to admit to liking a Hufflepuff finally. I'd like to see that actually."

"Time to go," said Ginny. She gave him a big hug. "I love you."

"Bye, Mum. Bye Aunt 'Mione."

Both Harry and Draco bent to embrace their son together.

"Bye Dad, Father."

"Don't get into too much trouble," said Harry as he gave Nick a kiss on the top of his head.

Draco bent down low to do the same, but whispered, "I'll see if I can sneak a broom in to you."

Nick grinned up at his father before turning and boarding the train. He waved to his parents and Aunt Hermione from his seat and they watched in silence as the train went out of sight.

"I can't believe he's already going to school," said Harry.

"I know. It seems like just yesterday you were giving me that cup of sperm," said Ginny.

Harry blushed a little, but threw his arm around her as they walked toward the barrier back to the muggle world.

"We made a damn good-looking kid though. And smart."

"Both of which he got from me."

"But he flies more like me. I'll bet he makes his house team."

"Draco, you're quiet. Everything okay?"

"Just silently agreeing with you both."

"You know," said Ginny, reaching to take Draco's hand. "I'm still reasonably young and still very willing to donate the use of an egg and another nine months of my time to a worthy cause."

He smiled, but shook his head. "The last thing this world needs is another arrogant pureblood running around, no matter what my mother says."

"True. So what do you say, Hermione?" Ginny asked jokingly.

"I'm just trying to get through one pregnancy. And I don't think that Justin would be all too thrilled with my having Draco's child."

"No, I don't suppose. Well, the offer stands. But now I have to run. The British Quidditch Board wants to chat about the possibility of me playing for their World Cup run this year. I don't really want to leave the girls at the Holyhead Harpies, but how can I pass up the World Cup?"

"Keep us posted, will you?" said Harry.

"Sure thing, love." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then did the same to Draco. She started to walk away to disapparate, but then turned around, grinning. "You two still make a beautiful couple, you know." She winked and then she was gone.

"So what is the beautiful couple planning on doing with a house all to themselves for the first time in eleven years?"

"Oh... you know. Nothing too exciting. Right now I'm just thinking about being back here. Sending Nicholas on his first Hogwarts Express ride."

Hermione nodded. "It's where we all met. So many years ago."

"Yeah. The last time any of us were really innocent. That year started it all."

"But I wouldn't take any of it back. Except maybe my horrible obsession with bossing you and Ron around."

Her voice still faltered a little at mention of Ron, but it was getting better. Harry knew that no one would ever take Ron's place in her heart, but had been genuinely happy when she finally settled down with Justin Finch-Fletchley. They were dating for three years before she finally agreed to marry him. Although she never said it, Harry always believed that it had taken her that long to feel like she wasn't cheating on Ron. They still visited his grave every year, but it was usually the only time she brought him up.

"Well, I've got an appointment with the Healer. You boys behave."

"What fun would that be?"

They said their good-byes and she left them walking alone through King's Cross Station. Harry grabbed Draco's hand and they slowly made their way back to the street to walk to the Leaky Cauldron.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Our family," replied Draco quietly. "I can't believe Nicholas is already going to Hogwarts."

"You know, if we did want to have another baby, now would be the time to do it since we're not getting any younger."

"You had better not be suggesting I'm getting old." He was absently patting his perfect hair as he said it and brushing imaginary lint off his coat. No matter what else had changed over the years he was still every bit as vain as he had always been.

"Yes of course," Harry joked. "And I think your hairline may be receding."

Draco looked thoroughly horrified.

Harry smiled. "You know, I think things have turned out rather perfectly."

"Of course they have."

"And you're every bit as beautiful as you were back when I first kissed you."

"Of course I am."

"And you're still an arrogant shit," Harry laughed.

"But you love me anyway."

"As if there was any doubt."

THE END


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